Root Radical Rooty Pie

CSA member Jane shared her recipe for an autumnal veggie pie. She says, “This pie is tasty and hearty and uses a lot of that delicious veg from the share. You can make the roasted vegetables, gravy, and pastry ahead of time for a quick assembly, or make it all in one go!”

Root Radical Rooty Pie

Ingredients

  • Prepared pie pastry

Mushroom Gravy:

  • 8 cremini mushrooms chopped finely
  • 1 tbsp butter or oil
  • Dried thyme
  • Milk or milk alternatives
  • Salt and black pepper to taste

Roasted Veggies:

  • 3 small beets sliced thinly
  • 5 small potatoes sliced thinly
  • 1 medium sweet potato sliced thinly
  • 3 carrots sliced thinly
  • Olive oil
  • Dried thyme
  • Salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Begin by tossing the sliced root veggies in oil and spices. I kept my beets and carrots separate from the potato and sweet potato, as I thought they might need a bit longer to cook fully. Put veg on trays and roast in the oven at 350 for about 30 minutes (toss halfway through).
  2. While the veggies are cooking, heat a pan over medium heat with the butter or oil. Add mushrooms and sauté until mushrooms begin to release their juices.
  3. Add dried thyme and ¼ cup milk of choice. Keep it simmering at a low temperature, stirring frequently.
  4. As the liquid starts to evaporate, and more milk ¼ cup at a time allowing liquid to evaporate between each addition for a total of 4-6 times.
  5. If you enjoy garlic, it would be a great addition to this gravy (as would onions!)
  6. For the final addition of milk stir it in and remove pan from heat. At this point you can puree the gravy with an immersion blender or in a blender, or leave it as is. If it seems too thin, you can add 2 tbsp flour to thicken it up.
  7. To assemble the pie, roll out your pastry dough and place in pie plate of springform pan.
  8. Place half of the roasted veg in the dish, and top with half of the mushroom gravy.
  9. Add the rest of the veg followed by the rest of the gravy. If you rolled out a big round of pastry, you can now fold the sides in towards the middle of the pie, for a rustic open-faced pie. If you would prefer, you can also roll out more pastry dough and place it over the veg/gravy filling for a closed pie.
  10. Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes, or until the crust is lightly golden brown.