Vegetable and Black Bean Pie

Vegetable and Black Bean Pie

After a few horrible weeks of cold and rain it looks like Summer is on its way at last, as temperatures here have soared from below average to well above average for the time of year. For us, this means dining on the patio :), but also the chance to wage war on all those weeds that grew up in the damp weather :/. I am trying to spend some time every day on the garden, which in turn means less time in the kitchen to write down recipes, so today's creation will be more in the form of cooking notes until I get the time to make it again and measure the quantities. I served the pie with various salads (including a brown rice and beansprout salad).

• The vegetables I used were mainly broccoli and cauliflower, with celery, diced orange sweet potato and shredded white cabbage. I used plenty of everything, to form a thick layer on the bottom of the dish. I began by sauteing the cabbage and sweet potato in a little oil with some hing and dark soy sauce, then I added the other vegetables and a minimal amount of water, and steamed them with a small pinch of salt until soft.
• When I spread the vegetable mixture into the dish I also mixed in some cooked organic black beans for protein.
• The secret of a good pie is the gravy; it should be thick enough not to make the filling soggy and runny, yet still be moist. I made a gravy from a broth of the liquid from cooking the vegetables, some white miso, a bit more soy sauce and some black pepper, paprika and dried thyme. I used the roux method, and added the broth gradually over a low heat so that I could judge when I got the perfect consistency. I then added the gravy to the filling.
• I had made the pastry earlier so that it had time to sit; this makes it easier to roll out. It was made using about 90% organic wholemeal flour, and half as much fat as flour. 
• Finally, the pie was baked at 225C until the pastry was done; by that I mean crisp and brown.