Russian Carrot pie is a fabulous vegetarian dish for a holiday or special occasion. This recipe comes from the Enchanted Broccoli Forest by Mollie Katzen. We use pecans to make the crust. Delicious!
Recipe:
serves 4
preparation time: crust 15 minutes, filling 30 minutes, baking 45 minutes
1 Tbs. butter 1 egg
1 cup finely minced onion 3 Tbs. fine bread crumbs
1/2 tsp. salt freshly ground black pepper
1 lb. slender carrots, thinly sliced 3 Tbs. minced fresh dill (1 1/2 tsp. dried)
2 medium cloves garlic, minced 3 Tbs. minced fresh mint (1 1/2 tsp. dried)
2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice paprika for the top
1 Tbs. unbleached white flour 1 Nut Crust, unbaked
1 1/2 cups firm cottage cheese
preheat oven to 375 degrees F
melt the butter in a large skillet. Add the onion and salt and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the onion is soft (about 5 to 8 minutes).
add the carrots, garlic and lemon juice. Cook and stir until the carrots are tender but not mushy- about 8 more minutes. Sprinkle in the flour, mix well and cook for about 2 minutes more. Remove from heat.
Beat together the cottage cheese and egg in a large bowl. Stir in bread crumbs, black pepper to taste and fresh herbs. Add the cooked carrot mixture (o.k. if still hot) and mix well. Spread into the crust and dust with paprika.
Bake for 15 minutes at 375 degrees F, then turn heat down to 350 degrees and bake another 30 minutes. Let it cool for at least 5 minutes before slicing. Serve hot, warm or at room temperature.
Nut Crust:
9-10 inch crust, preparation time: 15 minutes
6 Tbs. cold butter, cut into small pieces
1 1/4 cups flour (use mostly white with a little whole wheat)
1/2 cup finely minced nuts of your choice
1/4 tps. salt
about 3 to 4 Tbs. cold water
Use a pastry cutter, two forks or a food processor to cut together the butter, flour, nuts and salt until they make a uniform mixture resembling course cornmeal. (food processor will accomplish this in just a few short bursts.) Finely minced means just this side of ground.
As you stir with a fork (or as the food processor briefly runs) add the liquid, a little at a time, until the dough holds together. The varying humidity will affect the amount of liquid needed.
You can now wrap the dough and chill it to roll out later or you can roll it immediately, using extra flour, as needed, to prevent sticking. Transfer carefully to a 9-10 inch pie pan and form a crust with an edge. If not filling and baking soon, refrigerate until use.
Enjoy!
