Homespun Pot Pie

I used a new cookbook last night for dinner with friends. I'd been perusing the Moosewood Restaurant New Classics cookbook for weeks, so I finally tried out a recipe: homespun pot pie. It was hearty and delicious, and tasted quite like Fall.

The directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 and lightly oil a 9x13 casserole dish.

2. Warm 1 t of vegetable in a soup pot (I used olive oil). Add 1 c coarsely chopped onions, 2-3 T minced garlic, cover and cook on medium for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then add 1 t salt, 1 t thyme (we were out of thyme), 1 t dried marjoram, 4 to 5 c of mushrooms and 1 T of Dijon mustard. I changed this around a bit, adding only 2 cups of mushrooms and also 1 c cauliflower and 1 c broccoli instead. I forgot to add the mustard, even though we had some. Cook for about five minutes.

3. Then add 2 c peeled and chopped sweet potatoes (1/2-inch cubes), 2 c chopped potatoes, 2 c peeled and chopped parsnips (optional...I opted out), 1/2 t ground black pepper, and 3 c water or stock (I used water). Bring to a boil then reduce heat and let simmer for 15-20 minutes. Then add 3 T of cornstarch dissolved in 1/2 c cold water into the simmering vegetable mixture and stir. When the liquid starts to thicken, add 1 c fresh or frozen peas, 1 c fresh or frozen corn, 1 T soy sauce, and 1/2 t salt. Pour the vegetables into the casserole dish and set aside.

4. In a mixing bowl, sift together 2 c unbleached white flour, 1/2 t salt, 1 T baking powder, and 1/2 t baking soda. In a separate bowl, mix together 6 T melted butter and 1 c buttermilk or plain yogurt (I eventually used more like 1 and 1/3 c of plain yogurt, since the biscuit dough seemed too dry to me). Combine the wet and dry ingredients into a soft dough and drop the biscuit batter over the vegetables in the casserole dish in six equal mounds. Sprinkle 1 t chopped fresh dill over the biscuits (again, we were all out).

5. Bake for 25-30 minutes (or 33 minutes if your oven is slow like mine is) and serve immediately. It makes the house smell delightful.

Note: to make this a vegan recipe, you'd substitute soy margarine for the butter and soymilk/rice milk or soy yogurt for the buttermilk/yogurt.