I need pie. Not a sugar-dusted apple pie or a slim, flaky tart, but a big, fat savoury pie with a deep filling crowned with a cloud of buttery mash. A pie to put on the table to share, into which everyone can dig deep and pile, steaming, on to their plates.
This is a recipe that will work for all comers: a sort of cottage pie but without the beef, rich with Italian lentils, aromatics and tomatoes.
I will make the filling as if time is of no consequence, slowly stirring the onions and carrots and herbs that lie at its heart over a low heat until they soften and sweeten before adding ripe tomatoes, simmering golden stock and a mountain of squeaky fresh spinach leaves. Two sorts of root vegetables will be steamed and beaten to a fluff, seasoned with chopped herbs and piled high on top of the filling.
And yes, my pie will take all morning to make. It will leave me a sink full of washing up and probably bubble over the edge of the dish as it bakes, so I will have to scrub the oven. But we will be fed and happy and full of pie and, frankly, that is all that really matters right now.
Lentil and potato pie
This is a good-natured recipe that will take whichever lentils and vegetables you have lying around. Use brown, yellow or green lentils in the filling; spinach or chard for the greens; and mashed potatoes, swede, sweet potatoes or parsnip for the crust. Serves 6
For the filling:
onions 450g (2, medium)
olive or vegetable oil 3 tbsp
carrots 150g
celery 1 stalk
garlic 2 cloves
bay leaves 3
thyme 6 bushy sprigs
parsley 8 sprigs
lentils, brown or green 350g
tomatoes 500g
vegetable stock 500ml
spinach 350g
For the top:
potatoes 500g
sweet potatoes 1 kg
butter 50g
parsley a small bunch
Peel and roughly chop the onions, then cook them in the oil in a deep pan over a moderate heat for 15 minutes, stirring from time to time.
Cut the carrots and celery into fine dice, peel and finely chop the garlic then add all to the softening onions and continue cooking for 10 minutes, until the onion is golden and translucent.
Add the bay leaves to the pan. Remove the leaves from the thyme and parsley, then stir into the vegetables.
Cook the lentils in deep boiling water for 20 minutes, until they are just tender, then drain.
Cut the tomatoes into small dice and stir into the vegetables, leaving them to simmer for a further 10 minutes until the tomatoes have released their juice.
Pour in the vegetable stock, bring to the boil, then lower the heat to a simmer, season and leave the vegetables to putter away over a low heat.
Check the liquid level from time to time: you want a decent amount of juice, so add some more boiling water if needed. Drain the lentils and add them to the pan.
Peel the potatoes and sweet potatoes, then steam or boil until tender. This is best done separately. Drain and mash with a vegetable masher or food mixer. Add the butter, chopped parsley, salt and pepper and set aside.
Wash the spinach leaves and put them, still wet, into a pan over a moderate heat. Cover tightly with a lid and let them cook for a minute or two until wilted.
Remove the leaves, drain them and squeeze out most of the moisture.
Set the oven at 200C/gas mark 6.
Stir the spinach into the lentils then transfer to a deep baking dish, about 24 x 28cm. Spoon the mashed vegetables on top and bake for 20 minutes.
Asparagus, tomato and yogurt sauce
As a change from the traditional accompaniment of butter-rich Hollandaise, I’ve been making a light and fresh yogurt-based sauce for my asparagus this season. It works for steamed broccoli, too. Serves 4
asparagus 24 thick spears
yogurt 200ml
water 50-100ml
tomatoes 250g
spring onions 6
red chillies 3, small
coriander leaves 15g
mint leaves 8g
groundnut or vegetable oil 1 tbsp
mustard seeds yellow 1 tsp
Cook the asparagus in boiling, lightly salted water for 7-10 minutes until tender to the point of a knife. Drain on kitchen paper.
While the asparagus is cooking, put the yogurt in a bowl, then beat in the water and half a tsp of sea salt with a whisk.
Cut the tomatoes into small dice and add them to the yogurt. Finely slice the spring onions, add them to the tomatoes, then do the same with the chillies.
Tear or chop the coriander and mint leaves and add them to the yogurt. In a small, shallow pan, warm the oil then add the mustard seeds and cook them for a minute or two until they start to darken, then pour them and their oil over the sauce and stir.
Serve the asparagus cold or hot, with the bowl of yogurt and tomato dressing on the table.
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