Sometimes you just want to hold onto a season – summer is the best when it is not so hot but I always love holding on to it. Easy to hold on when summer fruits and vegetables are in your local markets. There is an abundance of squash and zucchini in our stores. I decided this week to make a dish that was tasty and aesthetically pleasing. I found a great recipe by Bunsen Burner Bakery . I made a few modifications to make it vegan and easy to make – so it is not completely from scratch. I took a few shortcuts! It’s ok right,? 🙂

Small disclaimer – My husband I cook a lot together. He is really great at making pie crusts and working with dough. He made the crust for me, but we are perfecting it in our new altitude in Colorado. Will make sure to include the recipe in another blog post once we are ready to share it!

Recipe:

1 pie crust – this can be store bought. Make sure it is savory not sweet

1 jar of 4 oz sundried tomatoes

1 bunch of basil

1 eggplant

1 zucchini

1 yellow squash

2 carrots (1 is fine if it is thick)

3-4 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoon of Italian seasoning

Optional: 5-10 cashews

Steps:

1) The pie crust needs to set prior to assembly of recipe if you are using one from scratch. If it is store bought check the directions.

2) In a blender add the sun dried tomato with all the oil, 1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning, and 1 bunch of basil leaves (keep a few for garnish after the pie is done). Add olive oil as needed, I used 1 more tablespoon so that was a total of 2. Optional: I also added a few cashews just to get some more nutrients.

3) Use a mandolin or vegetable peeler to make even thin slices of the vegetables. I used half of the zucchini, eggplant, and yellow squash & 1 carrot for a 9-inch pan. You may need more if your pie crust/pan is bigger

4) The eggplant can oxidize and turn brown quickly – so brush all of these slices first with olive oil. What I did is put 2 tablespoons in a small bowl and add a dash of seasoning.

5) Make sure the pie crust is cool if you put it in the oven (in step 1). Spread the sundried pesto mixture in the pan. Make sure it is coated and not too thin. You want to be able to taste it when you bite into the pie!

6) This is the fun part – add the vegetables. Make sure you start the spiral from the center and take a different color vegetable strip each time. I did this sequence green –> yellow –> purple –> orange so all the colors can come out. Look at the picture below- you should start in the middle! The vegetables are more vertical which helps it cook better and looks amazing. If you start on the outside, the vegetables end up being more horizontal if your pie crust is not very high. I would recommend starting in the middle and working your way around the pie.

7) Make sure you preheat your oven to 325 (350 if you are at an altitude 3000+ feet) for 50 minutes. The kitchen will smell amazing – all the great flavors coming together! After you take the pie out of the oven let it set for 20-25 minutes.

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