Aubergine and Onion Vegetable Pie

A vegetable pie using tomatoes, aubergines (eggplant), onions, and mushrooms. You can make vegetable pie with many kinds of vegetables.


Ingredients

Crust
For 4 or 5 persons, here are the ingredients:
250 g (1 cup) of flour
100 g (0.4 cups) of medium soft butter (leave it out for a half-hour before making the crust)
1 egg
some lukewarm water
a pinch of salt


Filling
1 or 2 aubergines (eggplants)
1 or 2 onions
4 tomatoes
150 g (0.6 cups) of mushrooms
some grated cheese
some milk
an egg yolk
near the end, some fresh cream

Preparation

Crust
Pour the flour into a large bowl.
Add the portions of butter.
Knead everything until the pastry is nearly consistent.
Add the egg, then some water bit by bit while working the pastry with your hands until it becomes soft and smooth.
It should not be sticky, and it should look shiny and medium yellow.


Filling
Cut the vegetables into thin slices.
Brown the vegetables in oil or butter, or you may steam them.
Begin with the onions and aubergines (eggplant), then the mushrooms.
Keep the tomatoes raw.

Putting it together
Butter the pie pan and shape the pastry into the pan.
Pre-heat the crust for about 10 minutes at medium heat after making small holes in the base of the pan.
So the pastry does not swell up, place some aluminum foil in a curved shape over the pastry.
Once the pastry is precooked take it out of the oven and arrange the cooked vegetables over the crust in whatever arrangement pleases you.
In a bowl, mix the egg yolk with some milk and a bit of fresh cream, then pour the mixture on top of the vegetables.
Cover with grated cheese.
Cook for 15 to 20 minutes at medium heat.


Some facts about eggplant :

Eggplant (also known as aubergine) is a shiny bulbous vegetable in the nightshade family that comes in green, white, or, more commonly, purple.

The eggplant itself is actually a berry, and its edible watertight skin and disc-like seeds show clearly its similarity to peppers and tomatoes. Unlike its cousins, however, the eggplant has a firm, dense flesh that is too bitter to eat raw. Eggplants range in size from large purple gourds bigger than a person's hand to tiny marble-sized green Asian eggplants.

The smaller varieties are said to be less bitter and to need less preparation. Many people find eggplant to be an acquired taste. Its versatility leads to eggplant dishes in many different cuisines, from Japan to India to Italy.