I crave savory pies more than fruit-filled. There, I said it. And since it’s winter and my landlord doesn’t like to warm up the house the legal way, I find many excuses to turn on our oven. Our salads have even been the roasted sort topped with fresh cucumber – an Ottolenghi recipe that somehow manifested into a pie in my kitchen, using whatever I have.
You’ll want to choose tender-when-cooked vegetables for this one. Here we have eggplant, zucchini, red bell peppers, and cherry tomatoes. While these aren’t in season right now in NY, roasting them this way in colder months brings out better flavor. I order from a farm-to-home delivery service to ensure my veggies are on point, but if you prefer waiting til Summer arrives, save this delicious idea for later!
smashed vegetable pie with cheddar crust and cucumber salad
Ingredients
for the cheddar pie crust
- 1 1/4 cup AP flour
- 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
- 8 tbsp butter chilled and cubed
- 4 ounces grated cheddar
- 1/4 cup iced water
for the roasted veggies
- 2 med eggplant diced
- 1 lb cherry or grape tomatoes halved if big
- 2 red bell peppers diced
- 1 large zucchini diced
- 6 sprigs of thyme
- generous amount of olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
for the cucumber salad
- 2 Kirby cucumbers diced
- 1 tbsp vinegar
- 3 tbsp freshly chopped dill
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
for the pie crust
- In a medium bowl, combine flour and salt. Toss the chilled pieces of butter into the flour til well coated. With your fingers, begin to break the butter into smaller pieces til they become pea-sized. Toss the grated cheese into the flour, then incorporate the ice water. Fold the dough into itself a few times til a ball forms. Flatten it into a disc and wrap with plastic wrap. Leave it in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, or up to 2 days.
for the vegetables and pie assembly
- Preheat oven to 425.
- Place all diced vegetables onto a large sheet pan layered with parchment paper. Add a generous amount of olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and toss til combined. Bake for about 35-40 minutes, stirring once mid-way.
- Discard the thyme. Gently smash about half of the vegetables with a fork, leaving some of the cherry tomatoes whole. Allow it to cool down before filling your pie crust.
- When ready, roll out the dough and place it over a deep pie dish. Fill it with the roasted vegetables. Fold in the edges and crimp the way you prefer. Brush with a little egg wash and bake for 40-45 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make the cucumber salad and spoon it over the pie once it has cooled down (or serve on the side while the pie is warm.) Enjoy!
