Vegetarian Pasties

One of the hallmarks of the Michigan’s Upper Peninsula cuisine are pasties, the sturdy meat and vegetable filled savory pastry that immigrated to the region with Cornish miners.  We’ve always liked our pasties with much more vegetable than meat, and here we’ve simply eliminated the meat altogether.  The result is very tasty and we doubt you’ll feel unfulfilled.  The pasties hold very well in the refrigerator or freezer, and reheated in the oven we think they taste even better.  You may want to consider doubling or tripling the recipe as they will be quickly eaten.  Our recipe is loosely based on one presented in the 1990 Sundays at Moosewood Restaurant. 

Crust

3 cups white flour
1 teaspoons salt
1 cup cold butter, cut into ½” cubes
3 tablespoons ice water

Place flour in a mixing bowl and sprinkle the salt over the top.   Cut the butter cubes into the flour using your fingers until the mixture resembles a coarse meal.  Sprinkle the water over the top and mix with a mixing spoon until the ingredients gather up and form a dough.  Knead a few times and then gather into a ball.  Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 20 minutes. 

Filling

1 cup celery, coarsely chopped
1 cup rutabaga, peeled and cut into ½” dice
¾ cup leek, cleaned and chopped
1½ cup carrots, cut into ½” dice
2 cups potatoes, cleaned and cut into ¾” dice
2 cups grated cheese (such as sharp cheddar, gruyere, or taleggio)
1/8 teaspoon mace
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Mix together all of the filling ingredients in a large bowl.

Preheat oven to 375° F.

Divide dough into 8 equal pieces.  Roll each into a 7” circle.  Place ¼ cup of filling on the half of the dough round facing towards you.  Press the filling into the dough and fold the uncovered half over the top of the filling.  Roll up the edges and crimp.  Cut 2-3 small slits into the top to allow steam to escape, and place on a large baking pan.  Repeat until all eight pasties have been formed.

Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 350° F and continue baking for another 20-30 minutes until the pasties are golden-brown.  Remove from oven and lest rest at least 5 minutes before serving. 

You'll likely have unused filling.  We turned this into a simple vegetarian shepherd's pie by placing the left-over raw filling into a buttered casserole, and topped it with mashed potatoes.  We then baked the pie for 40-45 minutes in a 350° F oven until the top was golden brown. 

Archive

Copyright Statement