Monday, August 29, 2016

Zucchini and Onion (or Any-Vegetable-Combination-You-Want) Crescent Pie


Andrew and I have become suburban farmers. We planted some vegetables this summer hoping to turn our not-so-green thumbs around, and low and behold, we have zucchini and squash growing! We've already enjoyed a homegrown stir-fry dinner, so in an effort to find other creative ways to use up our bounty, I opted for this zucchini and onion crescent pie the other night. It had to be good; it won the Pillsbury Bake-Off in 1980!

Crust me, you're going to like this. ;)


What’s especially fun about this recipe is how interchangeable it is. Short on zucchini, but you have mushrooms and eggplant? Or broccoli? Or bok choy? Go ahead and swap the veggies out, still cooking them before adding them to the filling. It’s a very forgiving recipe; it can handle it.

The herbs called for give this pie an Italian flavor, but you can also have fun varying the seasonings, adding in cumin and chili powder, or rosemary, perhaps. It’ll all be delicious! I bet taco seasoning would be good. And onion soup mix, too! Maybe even ground beef or sausage. Each time you make this and adjust the ingredients, it will become an entirely new creation and never get boring.


Before I leave you to your cooking, I just have to comment on an interesting step in the recipe that I hadn’t seen before. It asks you to spread yellow mustard on top of the crust before you fill it. When I first read this, I thought, “How odd!” Although I never questioned it or hesitated for a second. The result when you take your first bite is enhanced flavor and in particular, a next-level savoriness. And apparently not all spell checks think savoriness is a word, but I assure you it is; it must be. It’s exactly what I need to describe the use of mustard.


So head to Trader Joe’s to purchase a tube of crescent rolls, or visit any major grocery store for Pillsbury’s version of the dough. You’re well on your way to pie for dinner.

And wish us luck in our suburban farming endeavors. We’re currently attacking our cucumber leaf mildew problem with a vengeance. We must emerge victorious. I want homegrown cucumbers!


Zucchini and Onion or Any-Vegetable-Combination-You-Want Crescent Pie
Adapted from a recipe by Millicent Nathan of Boca Raton, Florida, on the Pillsbury Bake-Off website

2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
4 cups zucchini, thinly sliced (or any other vegetable of your choice!)
1 large onion, chopped
2 tablespoons dried parsley flakes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
2 large eggs
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese (cheddar or muenster or jack or some combination would all work fine!)
1 can (8 ounces) refrigerated crescent dinner rolls (Pillsbury brand or Trader Joe's)
2 teaspoons yellow mustard

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a large skillet, heat the butter or oil over medium-high heat. Stir in the zucchini and onions, and any other veggies you've selected. Cook 15 minutes until the veggies are tender and starting to brown. Stir in the parsley, salt, pepper, garlic powder, basil, and oregano. Remove from the heat and allow to cool briefly.

In a large bowl, add the eggs and beat well. Stir in the shredded cheese. Gently stir in the cooked vegetables, taking care not to break the vegetables. Set aside.

Now prepare your baking dish. Choose either a 9 or 10-inch glass pie plate, a 12x8-inch (2-quart) glass baking dish, or an 11-inch quiche pan. I recommend using a glass dish because it's easier to see when the crust is fully cooked. Open the tube of crescent rolls and separate the dough at the perforation marks into 8 triangles. Press these pieces into the baking dish so that the entire bottom and sides are covered. Seal the edges together so there are no holes for the filling to leak through. Using the back of a spoon, spread the yellow mustard all over the bottom and sides of the crust. Pour the egg-cheese-veggie mixture into the baking dish.

Bake, uncovered, for 18 minutes. Remove from the oven and cover loosely with foil to protect the crust, then return to the oven to continue baking for another 10-12 minutes. Insert a knife or cake tester into the center and if it comes out clean, the pie is done. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing.


Step-by-Step in Pictures
Saute the veggies and then add in the herbs. Set aside...

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and then add in the cheese...


Add in the veggies, then set aside...


Press the dough into your pie dish, sealing all the seams...

Spread mustard over the bottom and sides of the crust...


Pour the filling over the crust and spread it around so it's evenly distributed...

Bake at 375 degrees F for 18 min uncovered, then cover and bake another 10 minutes...

Enjoy!

2 comments:

Blue Angel said...

Hello-! Missing your posts! Being a "farmer" seems to have completely distracted you. I had to go back to 2015 here to get a holiday recipe. Disappointed that there wasn't a new one this year :(
...
Just an FYI. In babbling mildew, next year. Get a large sprayer, gallon. Add a cup of milk to the gallon of water. Whole milk only. The fat is necessary to help adhere to the leaves. In the am. Spray over and under and the stem of your plants. Also.. air out the plants by DE cluttering the space. Using clippers remove lower end leaves. Use a trellis to keep the plant upright. And space each plant a foot wide. They need lots of air. The milk bath every morning changes the pH on the leaves and will thwart powdery mildew from taking hold. But a warning. If it rains. Wait till the plant drys and spray again no matter what time of day. And begin the regime of spraying in the morning again. To help plants. Use a drip water system so fungus is not spread by water spray.also with the stems. Of both the cukes, melons and sqyash.. take a 2 inch wide piece of aluminum foil. Wrap around the very base of each new plant. Right at soil level. So that the first 1+inch of stem is covered. This prevents squash bores and others from infesting and killing your vines. Any area of vine that lays on the ground could be susceptible. I use those coffee carry all from Starbucks or duncin donuts to lay underneath the vine or the fruit.
And a recommendation. Try a Lemon Cucumber. They are so nice. Oh and one last piece of advise. ALWAYS plant herbs such as basil thyme or rosemary around your veggies. But save dill to the very edges as its known as the sacrificialherb. Bugs especially butterfly caterpillars will decimate it-! But leave your veggies aline-! Borage also good for this. Around your garden peripheral try planting nasturtium as it is helpful and edible.

Well.. I hope that helps.

Sathya said...

Wow Wonderful sharing. I love to read your blog. Your Cooking ideas are awesome.It makes delicious recipes for me. Thanks a lot for sharing with us.

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