Veggie Polenta Pie

Winter is coming!

Quite frankly, I'm excited. Stuff salads and birthday cake, I want pie! In abundance!

There's really not much of a thought process behind this one. I just sort of slung it all together and hoped for the best. It doesn't actually need it, but it would be bloody lush in a pool of gravy.

It was nice to be able to finally put away my vintage casserole dishes after a kitchen clear out, but even better immediately getting one out again and filling it full of mega stodge. This really isn't like me, but I may have made a little bit too much... 

I actually had one portion and then stopped eating. It's a Septembmas miracle!

Anyway. Here, have pie.

Veggie Polenta Pie

serves 6 

2 cups polenta
4-5 cups water
1 onion, sliced
1 stick celery, sliced
4 garlic cloves, sliced
1/2 yellow pepper, diced
1/2 fennel bulb, sliced
1 leek, sliced
5 mushrooms, sliced
1 courgette, halved lengthways and sliced
2 handfuls of spinach, chopped
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp chilli flakes
1 vegetable stock cube/jelly
olive oil

1. Preheat your oven to gas mark 6 or equivalent.
2. In a big boy saucepan, much bigger than the one I anticipated I would need, heat some olive oil over a gentle heat.
3. Sling in your onion, garlic, leek, pepper, celery and fennel and soften slowly.
4. Once soft, lob in the thyme, rosemary and chilli, stir to mix and season with salt & pepper.
5. Stir in your stock cube or jelly. Add the polenta and the water and stir to combine. Bring gently to a simmer. As Jamie O puts it, it should be gently blipping away.
6. Simmer for 5 minutes or so, add the courgette, mushroom and spinach, stir to mix thoroughly and empty into large- far larger than I expected- greased casserole dish.
7. Smooth the top down and I recommend adding some nice fork scores on the top, just like grandma used to do with her shepherd's pie, then you will get the best crispy bits.
8. Pop the pie in the oven and cook for 30 minutes until the top has gone all crispy and niiiiice.