Lunch in Geneva, Switzerland (Summer 2013)

A new year, a new semester, a convenient point in time for a new goal: savor the savory. Just the other day, my friend Steven asked for sites I use to find recipes since he’s trying to cook more frequently. I realized I reference many sites often to bake, but seldom to cook. My Chinese-American-style cooking intuition has been enough that I haven’t felt the need to explore the savory side more until now. This recipe is a combination of a few ideas. A year and a half ago, I created a series of dishes inspired by my summer adventures in Western Europe (London, Paris, Beaune, Geneva, Milan, Verona, Venice, Florence, Pisa, Vatican City, Rome). The gravy-unified chicken, pasta, and beet salad dish I had in Geneva inspired my spin-off into Chicken and Beet Pot Pie in the States. But more recently, I revisited pot pies and so this recipe is also an updated two-person, vegetarian variation. Here golden beets are a nutrient-rich, non-starchy substitute for the usual potato.

Scenic road trip views in Geneva

Veggie Beet Pot Pie

Makes 2 servings

Ingredients:

For the sauce

• 1 tsp oil
• 1/4 of an onion, diced
• 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 cup vegetable stock
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1/4 tsp salt
• Dashes of ground black pepper

For the filling

• 2 golden beets
• 2/3 cup frozen peas
• 2/3 cup carrots, sliced

For the pie crust

• 75 g (1/2 cup + 2 tbsp) all-purpose flour
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1.5 tbsp milk

Directions:

Roasting the beets

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.
2. Thoroughly wash beets and while still wet wrap in foil completely.
3. Roast beets for 60 minutes or until a fork can easily inserted (flipping beets halfway).
4. Let cool. Slice.

Making the pot pie

1. Preheat oven to 425 F.
2. To make the sauce, cook the onions in oil over medium heat until soft and translucent. Add in the flour and cook, stirring constantly (there won’t be enough oil to absorb all the flour; cook ~ 1 min). Gradually whisk in the vegetable broth and milk. Season with salt and pepper and continue to cook the sauce until thickened.
3. To make the filling, add the sliced beets, peas, and carrots to the sauce. Mix until the veggies are fully incorporated. Pour the filling into a standard loaf pan.
4. To make the pie crust, stir together all the ingredients. Press the mixture into a lump and roll the dough out into a shape matching the loaf pan. Cover the filling with the dough.
5. Bake for 35 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown. Let cool for 15 minutes before cutting into.