Vegetable Pot Pie

The very first time I ever baked a pot pie it was a fail. It was probably four or five years ago. I had just gotten into cooking/baking. My fatal flaw: I didn't precook the potatoes. The crust was awesome, the insides smelled great, but the potatoes were still hard. Making the whole thing nearly inedible. Whoops.I've learned since then, cook those dang 'tater's first. They are finicky. We eat vegetarian more often than not at our house. So if you want pot pie you probably are gonna have to make it yourself. Most store-bought versions feature chicken. This veggie pot pie recipe features potatoes as the "meat" of the dish. So, I guess it could also be called a potato pot pie. 🙂Vegetable Pot Pie, makes 5-6 servings

8-10 small potatoes (if you use lager, baking potatoes you'll only need 3-4)
2 stalks of celery
1/2 onion
5-6 cloves of garlic
15 oz. can of peas and carrots (you can use frozen ones if you prefer)
1/2 cup butter
3 tablespoons potato starch flour (this is great for making thick soups or gravy)
3 cups vegetable stock
1/4 teaspoon ground mustard
1 tablespoon chopped chives
salt + pepper
1 package puff pastry

Peel and rinse the potatoes. Cut into small cubes. Cook in boiling, salted water until soft (8-10 minutes).In a pot heat a tablespoon of olive oil and cook the chopped celery, onion, and garlic until it begins to soften. Remove from pot and set aside. In the same pot melt the butter. Whisk in the potato starch flour, so it's well combined, like a gravy. Season with salt + pepper. Stir in the veggie stock. Stir in the cooked potatoes, celery mixture, and drained can of peas and carrots. Season with ground mustard, salt, pepper and fresh chives. Pour into a pie pan or divide into 5-6 ramekins.

Cover with puff pastry. Brush with an egg wash (one egg whisked with a couple teaspoons of water). Bake at 375°F for 22-25 minutes until golden brown.Serve piping hot. This is sweater-wearing comfort food. What? That doesn't totally make sense? Yeah, but you get what I'm saying right? Just enjoy this guys. It's winter time! xo. Emma

Credits // Author and Photos: Emma Chapman