Vegetable Pie

As soon as I arrived at my son and daughter-in-law's house to stay for a week while she is in Cyprus, my granddaughter asked me to make a vegetable pie, and her brother asked me to make a curd cheese and spinach curry - the recipe for which is at the end of my novel, Tangled Love.

I spread a little butter on a large plate and then sifted some flour onto it to stop the pie sticking to the plate. Next I spread a little  cornflour overt the pastry-  to stop the filling seeping through - and then spread sliced cheese over it.

The filling is a finely sliced leek sauted in a little oil or butter until it is soft and finely chopped or cut vegetables in a white sauce flavoured with salt, black pepper and parsley. I pile the mixture onto the pastry and top it with sliced cheese. I dampen the edge of the pastry and then cover it with another circle of pastry and press around the perimeter with my finger to make sure the two layers are sealed and the filling won't escape. After brushing to top with milk I bake it in a pre-heated over gas mark six and cook it until the crust is golden-brown. About 35 -40 minutes.

Today vegetables are a mixture of  French beans, cut into quarter inch lengths,quarter inch cubes of carrots cut,small pieces of broccoli and some sweet corn kernels.

The pie tastes good hot or cold and can be served with cooked potatoes or potato salad and peas or green salad.

This vegetable pie freezes well and is good picnic fare.