Winter vegetable pie

Ingredients

For the pie:

225g squash or pumpkin, peeled and chopped

225g parsnips, peeled and chopped

225g carrots, chopped

225g leeks, trimmed and chopped

110g Gruyere or Emmental, grated

For the sauce:

40g butter

1 onion, chopped

40g plain flour

570ml milk

a little freshly grated nutmeg

1tbsp wholegrain mustard

50g Gruyere or Emmental, grated

25g Parmesan, finely grated

1 dsp chopped thyme (the recipe calls for an equal amount of rosemary which I didn’t have, so omitted)

salt and pepper

Pastry: perhaps you have your own favourite recipe? Delia recommends a parmesan pastry; I cheated and bought ready rolled puff pastry :)

The recipe calls for a dish 23cm in diameter and 5 cm deep; I used a bread tin which was the perfect size!

Directions

1. Steam the squash, parsnips, carrots and leeks for 15-20 mins, then set aside and leave to cool.
2. In a separate pan, melt the butter on the lowest heat possible, and cook the onion in it for about 20 mins. Stir occasionally to stop it sticking and colouring.
3. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the flour until smooth, then add the milk a little at a time making sure to stir well after each addition.
4. Season and let it barely simmer for 5 mins.
5. Add the cheeses, herbs and mustard and set aside to cool.
6. Preheat the over to gas 7/220C/425F
7. Mix the vegetables and the sauce together
8. Spoon half the vegetable mixture into your dish, and then sprinkle half the cheese on top. Add the remaining vegetable mixture followed by the remaining cheese
9. Top with the pastry (you might want to glaze with a little milk or egg) and bake for 25-30 mins until the pastry is golden brown and crusty and the pie bubbling hot. Enjoy!

Variation: I felt that the sauce needed a little more flavour, and intend to add a little tarragon to it next time.

This recipe tastes even better made with vegetables from Community Harvest Whetstone :)