Shepherd's Big Purple Vegetable Pie

Total Time: 1 hr 20 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 2 large potatoes, scrubbed but not peeled
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• salt and pepper
• 4 fluid ounces yogurt
• 1/2 cup freshly-minced chives
• 1/2 cup freshly-minced parsley
• 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups chopped onions
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1 stalk celery, finely-minced
• 12 ounces chopped mushrooms
• 1 (1 lb) eggplant, cut into small cubes
• 1 green bell pepper, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon basil
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• 1 cup raw peas (fresh or frozen)
• 1/2 cup packed grated cheddar cheese
• 3 tablespoons wheat germ
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• extra cheese, for topping
• paprika

Recipe

• 1 cook the potatoes (in their skins) in boiling water until soft.
• 2 drain and mash with butter, salt, pepper, yogurt, chives and parsley; set aside.
• 3 in a large, heavy skillet, sauté the onions and garlic in 1½ tbsp of butter, with salt and pepper, until the onions are soft (5-8 minutes).
• 4 add the celery, mushrooms, and eggplant.
• 5 cook over low heat, stirring occasionally.
• 6 when the eggplant is cooked through (and this will happen more quickly if you cover the skillet between stirrings), add the green pepper, herbs, and peas.
• 7 continue cooking about 5 minutes longer.
• 8 remove from heat; toss with cheese, wheat germ, and vinegar.
• 9 spread this mixture into a buttered deep-dish casserole.
• 10 spread the mashed potatoes on top, as a crust.
• 11 sprinkle extra cheese plus some paprika on top.
• 12 bake, uncovered, in a preheated 350°f oven, for 35 minutes.