Recipe: Basic Veggie Pie

Or Vegetable Gougere,as the Frenchies say:

This recipe is a really basic baked vegetable dish you could use in so many variations. It could be made to use spring veggies like asparagus, and garlic scapes, or later in summer with zucchini, sweet corn, and tomatoes, or even fall with squash, kale or root vegetables. Cooked ham or bacon is also a nice addition.

For the dough: 1 1/4 cups water, 1/2 cup butter, 1 1/4 cups flour, 4 eggs, 1 cup or so of shredded Gruyere or cheddar cheese, 1 tsp Dijon mustard, salt and pepper to taste.

For the filling: 1 can of tomatoes or a couple pounds of fresh. Other veggies as you desire.

To start: Preheat oven to 400-grease a baking dish. Add water and butter to a pan and when the butter is melted, add the flour and remove from the heat. Mix for about 30 seconds until the mixture is smooth. Allow it to cool slightly before adding the eggs, one at a time, and mix until it's smooth and glossy. Add cheese, mustard, salt and pepper and spread it into a baking dish, leaving a hollow in the center for the filling.

In the meantime: Blend or mash the tomatoes into a sauce and add water if necessary until you have 1 1/4 cups. Choose your other veggies and saute them with a little oil until about 1/2 cooked. Always start cooking the denser veggies first and add others according to how fast they will cook. Add the tomatoes and some dried or fresh thyme or basil. Cook only for a few minutes and then carefully spoon the mixture into the hollow of the dough in the baking dish. Cook about 30-40 minutes or until the pastry part is risen and browned nicely. Enjoy!