Veg sides for your Gourmet Pies

In February there are still lots of hardy veg options to chuck in a pan with a knob (or two) of butter and plonk on your plate. Choose your favourites from:

 

In addition to being packed with fibre, minerals and vitamins, and fighting off all kinds of ailments, greens complement pies beautifully! Whether you opt for cabbage, kale or spring greens, they are a real treat with a steak and ale pie or a creamy chicken and mushroom pie. Simply chop and steam with oodles of butter, bung on your plate with a healthy dollop of mash and you have a winner of a dinner!

 

Now if you’re familiar with a traditional Devon pasty then you’ll know that swede is one of the main ingredients to give it that distinct and delightful flavour. The swede is steamed beautifully inside a layer of flaky pastry with potato and beef skirt. But swede can also make a brilliant accompaniment to a pie. It’s not just a school dinner staple, and can really stand out if you cook it correctly!

Swede mash is a lovely alternative to ordinary potato mash. We have it on good authority that it accompanies our pies well. One of our lovely customers, Desme, recently sent us this recommendation:

“Swede and carrot mash with some steamed broccoli is the best side with your steak and kidney pie”.

To make a brilliant swede mash, just chop into chunks (with carrots too a la Desme!), boil for 15mins - 20mins then add butter and a good slosh of milk before mashing until it's the perfect consistency for you. Throw in a bit of cream if you're feeling indulgent and season it with a healthy amount of salt and pepper. Jobs a good un!