vegetable pot pie (vegetarian) - meatless monday

As the gloominess of this weekend continues into the this week, I'm sitting at my kitchen table starting this post. I've been thinking a lot lately about this blog. I love writing this blog. I love everything about it. From coming up with ideas, to cooking, to taking photos, to learning to take photos better and cook better and even healthier at times. That said, I am starting to feel that there are a few things I'm missing, and one of those things is in the writing, in the fact that I have completely neglected the writing. 

I thought a long time when I first began this blog about how to approach the writing. Do I just write as I think? Do I wax poetic about the things that interest me? The question of "what is my voice" lingered, and I didn't know how to answer it. I think that I let my voice fall silent, since I didn't know where to take it. I didn't know what I should write, so I wrote some descriptions about the food (honest enough), a smattering about my life, my day, my week, whatever came to mind at the moment, but all this is somewhat strange to me, because believe it or not, I've always been a writer. It might surprise many of you to know that I once wanted to be a writer, not a scientist/ engineer. I wanted to be a story teller. Not a food writer or a non-fiction writer, but an honest to goodness creative writer, and I almost transferred schools in college to join a creative writing program, instead of the engineering degree I completed. While I know now I made the right choice for me (I do love science!), that doesn't mean writing needs to be erased from my life completely. 

Somehow the writer in me has gotten lost in this blog. It may have surfaced a few times, but certainly not too often, and though I don't plan on writing stories, or poems, or novels into these pages, I want to honestly know, do you read the writing? I've worried that no one will actually read the posts anyway, that the writing would be unnecessary extra goop, that the blog is only about the pictures and the recipes. I'm starting to think that perhaps I was incorrect, perhaps the blog is about whatever I make it about. You guys tell me, if you will, if I wrote more, would you read it? Would you prefer it?

I miss writing, and when I do it, I remember parts of me that have seemed lost. So, as I'm sitting here, dwelling on these thoughts, with the floor open to you to tell me any and all of your thoughts on this, I'll have a little vegetarian vegetable pot pie, to warm my body and soul. Comfort food, it is. Steaming hot, rich, full of the bounty of the farmer's market, with a little crust to hold it all together. It doesn't get better than this, especially on such a dreary weekend like we've been having. I really would love your thoughts, so comment away if you have a moment!

vegetable pot pie (vegetarian)

serves 8

note: I baked this in a souffle dish and the filling amount worked out perfectly

2 pie crusts, homemade or store bought

4 Tbsp unsalted butter

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 c chopped leeks, cleaned and dried

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 c carrots, diced

1 c asparagus, tough stems removed, chopped into 1-inch pieces

1 c broccoli florets, in bite size pieces

1 rosemary sprig

1 thyme sprig

4 Tbsp flour

2 c good vegetable broth

juice ¼ lemon

1 c frozen peas

¼ c heavy cream

1 egg

blind bake bottom crust:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. Roll out one pie crust into a 9-inch round. Place in bottom of a deep dish pie pan or a soufflé dish, letting dough cover most of sides. Freeze 30 minutes. Cover dough with parchment paper and fill at least ½ with pie weights or dried beans. Bake 15 minutes. Remove from oven and after a few minutes remove parchment and pie weights. Pierce bottom with fork, then bake 10 minutes more. Remove from oven and let cool on rack until ready to fill.

for the filling:

In a large saucepan, heat oil and butter together over medium-high heat. When hot, add leeks and garlic and sauté about 2 minutes. Add carrots, asparagus, broccoli, and herbs. Season vegetables with salt and pepper and cook until vegetables become tender, about 15 minutes. Remove rosemary and thyme sprigs. Add flour and stir into vegetables. Let cook about 2 minutes. Slowly add in vegetable broth, stirring continuously. Cook until sauce becomes thick. Add lemon juice and stir. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add heavy cream and stir to combine.

to assemble:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Pour filling into pre-baked bottom crust. Roll out second pie crust 1-inch wider than the top of baking dish. Folding the extra length of crust under, top filling with the crust. Whisk together egg and 1 Tbsp water. Brush top of pie crust with egg wash, cut a few holes in top of crust, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake in oven 45min to 1 hour, until crust is golden and filling is bubbling.