Mediterranean vegetable pies

Picture / Carolyn Robertson

Makes 8 Pastry:

2 cups plain flour
1/4 tsp salt
150g butter, cubed
3 Tbs cold water

Filling:

300g (1 medium) eggplant, cut into large cubes
2 red capsicum, seeds removed and sliced
3 medium zucchini, thickly sliced
150g button mushrooms, halved
1/4 cup olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbs chopped fresh oregano

1. Rub butter into flour by hand or in a food processor until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Mix in salt, then the cold water until dough comes together in a ball. Cover pastry with plastic wrap and refrigerate to rest for 30 minutes.

2. Preheat oven to 200C. Place eggplant, capsicum, zucchini, mushrooms and oregano in a large oven pan. Drizzle with olive oil; season with salt and pepper and toss well. Roast for 30 minutes or until golden brown and tender, tossing once during cooking. Remove to cool.

3. Roll out pastry to 4mm thick and use to line 8 x 10cm pie tins. Trim edges and prick bases with a fork. Chill for 30 minutes. Line pastry cases with foil and fill with baking beans to blind bake for 15 minutes at 180C. Remove baking beans and foil and return pastry cases to the oven for a further 5 minutes until dry and crisp. At this stage pastry cases can be frozen for a later date.

4. When required, fill pastry cases with roast vegetables and garnish with oregano.