D-F Vegetarian Pot Pie

A mash-up of 3 different recipes for a dinner party with friends

Bon Appetite's March 1996 Vegetable Pot Pie
Smitten Kitchen's Pancetta, White Bean and Kale Pot Pies
Crust veganized from Smitten Kitchen's Better Chicken Pot Pies

Serves 6-8
Time: ~3 hours

1. Top (30 mins plus 1 hour chill)

• 2 cups (250 grams) all- purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea or table salt
• 13 tablespoons (185 grams or 6 1/2 ounces) cold unsalted vegan butter (like Earth Balance), diced
• 6 tablespoons (90 grams) vegan sour cream or vegan Greek-style yogurt
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) very cold water
• 1 egg, beaten with 1 teaspoon water, for egg wash

Make pastry lids: In a large, wide bowl (preferably one that you can get your hands into), combine the flour and salt. Add the vegan butter and, using a pastry blender or your fingertips, cut them up and into the flour mixture until it resembles little pebbles. Keep breaking up the bits of butter until the texture is closer to uncooked couscous. In a small dish, whisk together the vegan sour cream, vinegar, and water, and combine it with the vegan butter-flour mixture. Using a flexible spatula, stir the wet and the dry together until a craggy dough forms. If needed, get your hands into the bowl to knead it a few times into one big ball. Pat it into a flattish ball, wrap it in plastic wrap, and chill it in the fridge for 1 hour or up to 2 days.  Then make filling.

Filling (30 mins prep + 1 hour bake)

• 15 pearl onions, or 2 medium onions cut in 1/2 inch pieces
• 2 large carrots cut in 1/2 inch pieces
• 2 celery stalks, finely chopped
• 2 russet potatoes (about 8 ounces each), peeled, cut in 1/2 inch pieces
• 2 rutabagas (about 6 ounces each), peeled, cut in 1/2 inch pieces
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded, cut in 1/2 inch pieces
• 1 leek (white and pale green parts only), chopped
• 10 ounces mushrooms, coarsely chopped
• Thinly sliced Swiss chard leaves from an 8- to 10-ounce (225- to 285-gram)
  bundle (4 cups); if leaves are very wide, you can halve them lengthwise
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 teaspoons dried herbs de Provence
• 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
• 2 cups white beans, cooked and drained, or from one and a third 15.5- ounce
  (440-gram) cans
• 1 cup canned vegetable broth
• 1 cup dry red wine
• 1-1/2 tablespoon cornstarch

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Blanch pearl onions in large pot of boiling water 2 minutes. Drain onions and cool. Peel onions.
2. Cut carrots, potatoes, rutabagas and bell pepper into 1/2-inch pieces. Place in heavy large baking pan with onions, leek and mushrooms. Add olive oil and herbes de Provence and toss to coat. Roast until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour. Transfer vegetables to 8-inch square glass baking dish. Saute celery until soft, then add swiss chard for 2 minutes, and add in to baking dish. Stir in peas and white beans. Season vegetables to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover tightly and refrigerate.)
3. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Mix 1 cup vegetable broth and 3/4 cup dry red wine in heavy small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to simmer. Stir remaining 1/4 cup red wine and 1-1/2 tablespoon cornstarch in small bowl until smooth. Add to broth mixture and simmer until sauce thickens slightly, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes. Pour sauce over baking dish.
4. 1. Roll out the dough so that it will cover the baking dish.  Brush edges of baking dish with egg wash, place top over baking dish and press down to adhere to the outer edges.  Brush the top with egg wash, then cut decorative vents to let steam escape.  Bake on top of a baking sheet to catch spills until crust is bronzed and filling is bubbling, 35-40 minutes.
5. 

1. Spoon pot pie onto plate; serve hot.
2. Enjoy with friends!