BRATTLEBORO — The typical school lunch can be everything from uninspiring to unhealthy, but it doesn't have to be. If you take some time once a month or so, you can throw some hearty, healthy hand pies into the mix.
The best part is that all you have to do is remove them from the freezer and send them to school. You can make them small for younger children, or large (calzone size) for older kids or adults.
For these pies, I used some summer squash, new potatoes, and carrots from Pete's Stand in North Walpole, N.H. I added some onions and garlic, and plenty of thyme and sage from the garden. Leftover roasted chicken rounded out the ingredient list.
1. Crust
Mix in a large bowl:
¶3 cups of flour
¶1 teaspoon (or a little more) of Italian seasoning
¶1 teaspoon salt
Using a box grater, grate in:
¶1{1/2} sticks butter, frozen
Stir to coat the butter, then add:
¶ milk
Add the milk a tablespoon at a time, stirring with a spoon until the dough starts to hold together, then use your hands.
Form the dough into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least several hours. Dough will be good in the refrigerator for up to one week.
2. Filling
Assemble enough vegetables to fill a large frying pan about ½ inch deep. I used
¶1 small bunch carrots
¶2 medium potatoes
¶1 medium summer squash
Chop in small pieces your vegetables and:
¶{1/2} large onion, chopped
¶2 cloves garlic, minced
In a large frying pan, heat over medium heat:
¶Olive oil
Add the onions and cook until translucent.
Add the garlic and cook for a minute or two.
Add hard vegetables (carrots and potatoes), cover, and let cook 10 minutes or so.
Add softer vegetables (summer squash), cover again, and let cook until tender.
Add:
¶1 large pinch salt
¶1 large pinch fresh thyme (leaves stripped from the stems)
¶2 leaves of sage, chopped finely.
(You can use dried herbs here too, just use your favorites.)
If you have some leftovers, add:
¶chicken, shredded and roasted
At this point, you can add
¶chicken broth
Let the filling simmer to thicken.
3. Pies
Break off handfuls of dough (step 1) and roll out until the crust is one-eighth of an inch thick or so.
Put a large spoonful of filling on one side, fold the dough over and press the edges together. Roll the edges over and press again to seal the filling in.
Brush with olive oil and bake at 375 degrees until golden brown. (The filling is fully cooked, so you only have to worry about the crust.) Let cool, wrapping them in foil, and freeze.
To send one of these pies to school, remove it from the freezer the night before and let it thaw in the refrigerator. No need to pack with an ice pack; the pie will be room temperature and perfect for eating at lunch time.