Last weekend was the end of our CSA.  We joined in June and have gotten lovely produce almost every week since.  I chose this one because it went all the way through the fall and into winter.  Fall produce is my favorite (at least in terms of vegetables), so I didn’t want one that ended in September.

Now that it is over, I wonder if I will join again next year.  Or if I will choose another farm.  Or if I will just shop the farmer’s market, selecting what I want rather than resigning myself to what they give me.  I loved the quality – vegetables so fresh! – and the challenge of using what was completely seasonal.  I didn’t love week after week (after week) of carrots and greens.  So I don’t know.  Something to ponder in the dark days ahead before the days of kale end and the days of asparagus begin.

I do love that of the many vegetables in this pot pie, half were from my CSA.  The parsnips, carrots, brussels sprouts, and beets were all in that last box.

If you take a look at the side bar to your right, you will notice a new category.  My friend Kelly suggested I create one for “quick and easy” recipes.  I went back through my archives and tagged the ones I would describe that way.  Everyone has a different idea of what is quick and easy so you may not always agree with me.  For instance, something that bakes in the oven for a while but only took you a few minutes of hands-on time would count in my book.  Or something that simmers on the stove with just a stir from you every ten minutes or so.  I know that getting dinner on the table can sometimes be a Herculean effort, so I hope you find this category helpful.

I would not qualify this pot pie as quick – easy yes, but not quick.  Look at this as a chance to practice your knife skills.  You will be richly rewarded by something extremely tasty and hearty without being heavy.  Feel free to play around with the vegetables and their amounts.  Everything gets roasted for the same amount of time with the exception of the zucchini, so if you have two beets and one parsnip – go for it.  Or if the idea of using half a butternut squash seems fussy to you, use the whole one and don’t use the beets.  You can see where I am going with this.  My final note is to not pile up the biscuit dough as high as I did because they didn’t cook all the way through by the time they were starting to brown.  Next time, I will dollop more delicately.

Chunky Vegetable Pot Pie
Adapted from The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook – The Original Classics
Serves 6

1/2 medium (about 8 ounces) butternut squash, peeled and cut into ¾-inch cubes
1 small head celeriac, cut into ½-inch cubes
2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into thick 1-inch long matchsticks
1 cup cauliflower florets (from ½ of a cauliflower)
8 ounces brussels sprouts, cleaned and trimmed and sliced lengthwise
1 medium beet, trimmed and scrubbed, cut into ½-inch cubes
2 parsnips, peeled and cut into thick 1-inch long matchsticks
Olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 medium shallots, minced
½ cup dry white wine
1½ cups vegetable stock
1 cup plus 2 tbsp. flour
2 tbsp. plus 2 tsp. chopped fresh tarragon
3 tbsp. unsalted butter
1/2 cup milk
2 tbsp. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 medium zucchini, cut into 1-inch long matchsticks

1.  Preheat the oven to 425°F.  Place squash, celeriac, carrots, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, beet and parsnips in a roasting pan.  Toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil; season with salt and pepper.  Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, stirring twice during the cooking.  Remove; reduce oven to 375°F.

2.  Heat a medium skillet over medium heat.  Add just enough olive oil to coat the bottom, then add the garlic and shallots; cook until soft, about 5 minutes.  Raise the heat to high, and add the wine.  Let the wine reduce by half, about 2 minutes.  Add the vegetable stock and simmer over medium-high heat for 5 minutes.  Set aside.

3.  Combine 1 cup flour, the baking powder, 2 tsp. tarragon, and a sprinkling of salt in the bowl of a food processor.  Pulse in the butter until mixture resembles coarse meal.  Add the milk and Parmesan, process until combined, and set aside.

4.  Transfer vegetables to a large bowl.  Add zucchini and the remaining two tablespoons tarragon; toss to combine.  Stir in the stock mixture; season with salt and pepper.  Transfer to a shallow ovenproof glass pie dish; bake for 15 minutes.  Remove from the oven and drop heaping tablespoons of the biscuit dough over the vegetables, leaving some of the vegetables exposed.  Place the pie dish in the oven and bake until the biscuits are golden, about 25 minutes.  Serve hot.