Lisa Tucker’s
Vegetable Pie 

THE PROMISED WORLD 

No one cooks in The Promised World, but two people cooked for me while The Promised World was being written: my dear friend Kristin and my sister Laurie. Both women are great cooks – unlike me – but both of them knew that what I needed most was old-fashioned comfort food, like this zucchini pie. Writing a book can be a harrowing, lonely experience. Finding a tasty dish outside my door every so often gave me the strength, both literally and
metaphorically, to keep going and face down the next page.

I like this recipe because it’s fast and easy and nearly impossible to ruin. It’s also fun to experiment with substitutes for the zucchini. Carrots work well and make the pie a bit sweeter. Mushrooms are also good but look a bit bland.

Lisa Tucker photo credit: © James Crotinger

Vegetable Pie 

For the casserole:

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3-4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 cups chopped zucchini (2 small or 1 medium zucchini)
1/2 cup chopped onions

Toppings (optional)

Bacon crumbs
Salsa
Sour cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 10-inch pie plate or 8-inch square cake pan. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, eggs, butter, oil, and Parmesan cheese.  Add zucchini and onions.  Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 40 minutes, or until golden brown on top and knife comes out clean. Add toppings if desired.

Yield:  6-8 servings