Last week was National Pie Week and today, March 14th, is Pi Day, so to join in the fun we’re sharing our favourite vegan pastry and pie recipes from Graham Burnett’s Vegan Book of Permaculture!

A Basic Pastry Recipe

4-5 cups of wholemeal flour

Equal parts of sunflower oil and water (about half a cup full of each)

Stir oil and water into the flour with a fork until stiff. If pastry is too dry add a little more oil and water – if too soggy add more flour. When you can roll out the pastry on a flat surface lightly dusted with flour without it either sticking or breaking up, it’s the right consistency. The amounts given above are approximate for a good size pie that will feed a family of 4.

Use a greater proportion of oil to water if you want a ‘shorter’ pastry.

For variations bung in some ground nuts or sesame seeds, or substitute half the wholemeal flour for a white flour (gives a lighter texture) or soya flour, rye flour, millet flour, gram flour, etc. or mashed potato to make ‘gnocchi’.

Lentil Pie

2-3 medium carrots

1 large onion

5 or 6 mushrooms

2 cups of fairly traded red lentils

½ a tube of tomato paste

2-3 cloves of garlic

Tablespoon of yeast extract

Herbs to taste, e.g. sage, oregano, thyme, parsley

Pastry (as above)

Cook lentils until soft (don’t use too much water or they’ll be too runny, but at the same time don’t let them burn). Chop up onions, garlic and carrots and gently fry them in a pan with the herbs for 5 minutes or so, then add the lentils and mushrooms. Stir in the yeast extract and the tomato paste.

Meanwhile roll out half of the pastry and place in a greased pie tin. Place in a medium oven and bake for 5 minutes or so. Remove and add in the filling. Use the other half of the pastry to make a lid for the pie. Don’t forget to make a few holes in the lid to let the hot air out. Cook in a medium heat oven for 20-30 minutes until the pie has a nice brown crust.

If you’ve got a little left over pastry you could roll it into thin strips and use it to make a simple design to decorate your pie.

Serve with, say, potatoes, steamed mixed vegetables, roast parsnips and gravy.

An alternative vegan pie recipe can be found in this melodic wee ditty from Scottish punksters Oi Polloi…

Lots more recipes can be found in The Vegan Book of Permaculture by Graham Burnett – order your SIGNED copy today and get a bonus free copy of ‘The Ecology of the Self – Zone Zero Zero Permaculture Design Notes’, or buy it together with ‘Permaculture A Beginner’s Guide’ plus extra booklets for the special price of just £21!

Order The Vegan Book of Permaculture now!