A Pot Pie to Cure Winter Blues

A vegetarian version to help you lean in to the last month of winter

I love winter. I really do. But this winter? It’s dragging. The sun has been hiding for what feels like weeks. It’s been bitterly cold with howling winds up to 55mph. There’s a thick layer of ice, well, everywhere. I’ve resigned myself to wearing sweatpants nearly every day (a real pro/con of working for yourself). While I’m dreaming of sunnier days in the garden, lazy afternoons by the pond, tomatoes dripping off the vine, late nights under the stars, and handfuls of red currants straight off the bush, we’ve got another (official) month of winter to go.

If, like me, you’ve got the winter blues, it’s time to make use of the next few weeks and make all the cozy things you can. This root vegetable pot pie from my book To the Last Bite (recipe below for paid subscribers!) should be at the top of your list. It’s got all the joy that pot pie offers —a rustic, flaky all-butter crust, and a rich, creamy filling. Instead of the usual chicken, I’ve made this vegetarian by swapping in root vegetables. I know root vegetables don’t sound particularly sexy, but cooked with plenty of garlic and thyme and thickened with a roux they transform into sweet, tender bites.

Like with all pies, you can make the dough up to three days in advance (and kept in the refrigerator) but preferably at least a few hours, and you’d be wise to do so. The filling should be completely cooled down -- that means no more steam coming off the top -- or the butter in the crust will start to melt making it nearly impossible to successfully crimp the crusts together. While the filling cools, roll out the dough to save on time. This is a great recipe to swap in any of your other favorite root vegetables, like parsnips, radishes, sweet potato, fennel, and rutabaga.

This pie makes excellent leftovers.

It’s cold.

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients