Barefoot Bloggers Vegetable Pot Pie

Ina you have done it again!!!!!! When have you ever failed me!!!!

When I saw this second challenge for this month I was skeptical that the "pastry challenged" me could pull it off. I toyed with the idea of using frozen pastry dough that I buy at a local orchard that makes some of the best pies ever!!!!!! But...then I thought if I continue with my pie crust challenged ways I wouldn't really be testing this recipe to its fullest...but right to the last minute I was very tempted!!!!!

This is my continued saga of being part of the illustrious group the Barefoot Bloggers. As a humble member of this group I am rolling up my shirt sleeves and cooking up a storm with the Barefoot Contessa herself and all the other wonderful members of this close group. We're an [extra]ordinary group of cooks and bakers with a love of all things Ina. We test and retest Ina Garten's recipes as a whole and then blog about our results and recipes on the 2nd and 4th Thursday of every month. This gives me the opportunity to try more of Ina's recipes as well as not having to think of what's for dinner at least 2 nights in the month!! Bonus!!! Plus I get to meet so many more new people. This time around the recipe was chosen by Deb of Kahakai Kitchen. The recipe can be found in Barefoot Contessa Parties on page 255 !!!!

The pie crust turned out beautifully....could this mean I am no longer "pastry challenged"????????? The recipe asks for 1-1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt. Kosher salt is less "salty" than regular table salt but I still used only 1 teaspoon and found it was salty enough. This is definitely a crust for only savour dishes.

TIDBIT: At 15 Ina met her future husband, Jeffrey Garten, on a trip to visit her brother at Dartmouth College. After a year of exchanging letters, they began dating.

The Barefoot Bloggers have made 39,947 Friday dinners for Jeffrey.

**Vegetable Pot Pie**

12 T (3/4 cup) unsalted butter (1- 1/2 sticks)- I used 1/4 cup
2 cups sliced yellow onions (2 onions)
1 fennel bulb, top and core removed, thinly sliced crosswise (I omitted this)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 -1/2 cups good chicken stock
1 T Pernod (or its Greek substitute ouzo)
Pinch saffron threads
1 -1/2 tsps kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
3 T heavy cream
1 -1/2 cups large-diced potatoes (1/2 pound)
1- 1/2 cups asparagus tips
1 -1/2 cups peeled, 3/4-inch-diced carrots (4 carrots)
1 -1/2 cups peeled, 3/4-inch-diced butternut squash
1- 1/2 cups frozen small whole onions (1/2 pound)
1/2 cup minced flat-leaf parsley

For the pastry:

3 cups all-purpose flour
1- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1/4 pound cold unsalted butter, diced
1/2 to 2/3 cup ice water
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash
Flaked sea salt and cracked black pepper

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Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions and fennel and saute until translucent, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the flour, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 3 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Slowly add the stock, Pernod, saffron, salt, and pepper, and bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the heavy cream and season to taste. The sauce should be highly seasoned.

Cook the potatoes in boiling salted water for 10 minutes. Lift out with a sieve. Add the asparagus, carrots, and squash to the pot and cook in the boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain well. Add the potatoes, mixed vegetables, onions, and parsley to the sauce and mix well.

For the pastry, mix the flour, salt, and baking powder in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Add the shortening and butter and mix quickly with your fingers until each piece is coated with flour. Pulse 10 times, or until the fat is the size of peas. With the motor running, add the ice water; process only enough to moisten the dough and have it just come together. Dump the dough out onto a floured board and knead quickly into a ball. Wrap the dough in plastic and allow it to rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Divide the filling equally among 4 ovenproof bowls. Divide the dough into quarters and roll each piece into an 8-inch circle. Brush the outside edges of each bowl with the egg wash, then place the dough on top. Trim the circle to 1/2-inch larger than the top of the bowl. Crimp the dough to fold over the sides, pressing it to make it stick. Brush the dough with egg wash and make 3 slits in the top. Sprinkle with sea salt and cracked pepper. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 1 hour, or until the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbling hot.

Serves 4