We are back. Back in the U.S. Back on the west coast. Back in gray and rainy Portland. This past weekend we had a taste of spring, but otherwise it has been wet. And between the weather and having a bit more time on my hands and a fully functional kitchen again, I have been cooking some of my favorite warming meals. (Big shout out to friends Mac and Carmelle who are letting us room with them while we look for a place to live!) This recipe is one of those dishes. You may have heard of this pie, or at least the book series it is inspired by, Redwall. When I was younger, my older sister Emily was obsessed with the series, which focuses on a series of woodland creatures who live in mostly an abbey. If I recall correctly, there are castles and ghosts, banquets and wizards. I think of it as Camelot meets the Borrowers. My mother, being the amazing woman she is, somehow found a recipe for this pie, Deeper ‘n Ever Turnip ‘n Tater ‘n Beetroot Pie, and would make it for us, making us feel as if we were at the table during those banquets, eating alongside otters, squirrels, and birds.
This pie screams cozy to me. You start with a buttery, savory pie dough, layer the filling with cheese, mashed vegetables, beets, caramelized onions, and more cheese, and bake until the crust is golden. As an adult, I realize the amount of work that goes into this, and how long my mom must have spent in the kitchen making it: caramelizing onions, mashing potatoes and turnips, boiling beets, shredding cheese. It also is a great base for something that is easy to riff on – you could add squash, greens, mushrooms, peppers.
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar 4 large russet potatoes, peeled, quartered, and boiled until tender In a glass, combine the apple cider vinegar with 1/2 cup water and a few cubes of ice and set aside. In a food processor combine flour, salt, and pepper and pulse a few times. Add the chunks of butter, pulse until the larger pieces of butter are no bigger than the size of a pea. Add 3 Tbsp of vinegar/water mixture, pulse to combine. Add more vinegar water, 2 Tbsp at a time, pulsing after each addition, until the dough begins to come together. Dump the dough out onto a clean surface, divide in two, pat into discs. Wrap the discs in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 375°F. In a large bowl, mash together the potatoes, turnips, butter, milk/cream, 1-2 tsp salt, a few grinds of pepper, and 1/2-1 tsp of onion powder if using. Taste and adjust dairy and seasoning to your liking. Roll out one disc of your pie dough and put it in the bottom of a 9-inch pie dish. Sprinkle half of the shredded cheese on the bottom of the crust. Spread half of the potato turnip mixture on top of the cheese. Layer the sliced beets on top of the potatoes. Spread the sautéed onions on top of the beets. Spread the second half of the potato turnip mixture on top of the onions. Lastly, sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top of the potato turnip mixture. Roll out the second disc of dough, cover the pie, and trim and crimp the edges. Cut steam vents in the top of the pie. Bake for 30-45 minutes, until the edges of the crust are golden brown. Allow to cool for at least an hour before digging in. This pie makes excellent leftovers, and is usually a bit easier to slice after sitting for a day (plus the pink from the beet spread and it gets even prettier).Deeper ‘n Ever Pie
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper (or a few good grinds)
1 cup butter (2 sticks), cut into chunks
2 small turnips, peeled, halved, and boiled until tender
1 Tbsp butter
1/4 cup milk, half and half, or cream
salt, pepper, and optional onion powder
2 large beets, boiled, peeled, and thinly sliced
2 white onions, sliced and sautéed in butter
1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheeseInstructions