Vegetable Cobbler

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cooking Time: 40 minutes

Yield: 6 servings

This main-dish cobbler with its golden crust and dill-infused filling marries macrobiotic principles with Western ingredients.

Ingredients

Filling:

2 Tbsp (30mL) extra-virgin olive oil

1 leek, halved lengthwise

1/4 pound (115g) mixed mushrooms (1 1/2 cups or 135g), trimmed and halved or quartered

1 large carrot

1 large red potato

1 tsp (6g) sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

2 Tbsp (15g) kuzu root starch

2 Tbsp (30mL) natural soy sauce

2 cups (480mL) vegetable broth or water

1 6-inch (15cm) piece kombu sea vegetable

1/4 pound (115g) each broccoli and cauliflower (about 3 cups or 345 g total)

1/4 cup (50g) English peas, fresh or frozen

1/4 cup (9g) fresh dill, coarsely chopped, or 1 Tbsp (6g) dried

Topping:

3/4 cup (90g) whole wheat pastry flour

3/4 cup (90g) unbleached white flour

2 1/4 tsp (10g) non-aluminum baking powder

1/4 tsp (2g) sea salt

3 Tbsp (45mL) canola oil plus a little to brush the surface

1/2 cup (120mL) plain soymilk

1 tsp (2g) minced dill for garnish

Directions

Cut all vegetables in 1-inch (2.5cm) bite-size pieces. Place a baking sheet or aluminum foil on the oven floor to catch any drips.

Place kuzu in a small bowl with the soy sauce and enough of the vegetable broth or water to cover. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a large skillet or saucepan. Add the leek and mushrooms and sauté briefly. Add the carrot and potato. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and stir.

Add the remaining vegetable broth to the pot with kombu. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down to a slow boil. Cook the vegetables until barely tender, about 5 minutes. Add the broccoli and cauliflower with the peas and the dill. Stir and cook 5 minutes more. Remove kombu. Stir the kuzu to dissolve it and gradually mix it into the vegetables to make a sauce. Transfer the filling to a lightly oiled 2-quart (1.9L) baking dish.

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). To prepare the topping, mix the flours with the baking powder and salt. Stir in the oil. Gradually add the soymilk. Stir in a little more flour if necessary. Gingerly shape the dough into a ball. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough out about 1/4-inch (0.5cm) thick to fit the baking dish. Place the dough over the vegetables and tuck it down around the edges. With a fork, poke air vents in the dough.

Bake cobbler until the broth bubbles up around the edges and the crust is golden, about 20 minutes. After 15 minutes, brush the surface with oil and sprinkle a tsp of dill over the top. Return the casserole to the oven to bake 5 minutes longer. Allow to sit 15 minutes before serving.

Variations: For a heart-warming presentation, cut the biscuit dough in shapes with a cookie cutter and arrange them on top to cover most of the filling. Or, slice dough in 1/2-inch (1.25cm) wide strips. Weave strips together to make a lattice top. To make a drop biscuit topping, add 1 cup (240mL) soymilk for a wetter mixture. Spoon it on top to cover the vegetables.