Summer Vegetable Pie
Print This Recipe
Vegetarians, or for that matter anyone who loves vegetables, will delight in the garden-fresh flavor of this Summer Vegetable Pie. It is filled to the rim with onions, eggplant, tomatoes, zucchini, corn and green peppers - all seasoned with Parmesan cheese and garlic. Cut it into wedges and serve with a cheese omelet and a tossed green salad.
INGREDIENTS
PIE PASTRY
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup solid vegetable shortening
5 to 6 tablespoons ice waterPIE FILLING
4 tablespoons grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
2 yellow onions, peeled and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick rings
Vegetable oil
1 medium-sized eggplant, peeled and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch thick slices
3 large ripe tomatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
4 small zucchini squash, unpeeled and sliced, trim ends
1 ear fresh corn, cooked for about 2 minutes and cut off cob
Salt and pepper
1 fresh green pepper, cored, seeded and cut into rings
2 teaspoons crushed or chopped garlicPREPARE PIE PASTRY - In a medium-sized bowl, stir flour and salt together; add shortening all at once. With a pastry blender or two knives, using a short, cutting motion, cut shortening into flour until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal.
Quickly sprinkle ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, over all the pastry mixture, tossing lightly with fork after each addition and pushing dampened portion to side of bowl; sprinkle only dry portion remaining. (Pastry should not be sticky.)
Use hands to press and shape pastry into a ball. Flattern with palm of hand and roll out to a 13-1/2-inch circle on a lightly floured pastry cloth, using light strokes from center to edge of pastry, lifting rolling pin as you reach the edge and alternating directions.
Fold pastry in half; transfer to a 10-inch pie plate, making sure fold is in center. Unfold pastry; fit gently into pie plate. Fold under edge of crust and press into upright rim; use fingers to crimp decoratively. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
FILL PIE - Sprinkle pie crust with 2 tablespoons grated cheese; set aside. In a skillet, sauté onions in 1 tablespoon hot oil until lightly browned. Add eggplant, tomatoes and zucchini; sauté until just soft. Toss with corn and season with salt and pepper.
Spoon half of eggplant mixture into pie shell; top with some green pepper rings, a sprinkling of oil, 1 tablespoon grated cheese and half the garlic. Repeat layering and bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until vegetables are tender and crust is golden.
Makes 8 servings