CORN HAND PIES - SAVORY

1 1/2 C. fine corn meal
1/2 c. Flour, AP
1 T Lard
1 Ts. Salt
1 Ts. Sugar
3/4 c. Water, warm (maybe more needed)
Egg wash (1 egg whisked with a tablespoon water)

1. Add cornmeal in a blender and pulse it for finer texture. Pour cornmeal in a mixing bowl and add flour, salt and sugar. Mix well and add lard.
2. Mix with your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add water and mix until a loose dough has just started to come together. It should be moist and soft. Do not knead or over work the dough.
3. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 20 minutes.
4. Roll on a floured surface and cut using a round cookie cutter approximately 4.5 inches in diameter.
5. Fill with a tablespoon of filling and brush the edge with egg wash. Crimp the edges closed and score with the tines of a fork. Refrigerate or freeze until ready to serve. Fry at 350 for about 2 minutes or golden brown.

VEGETABLE FILLING

6 stems Swiss chard
6 Leaves Kale leaves
1 Lg. Red pepper, red
½ c. feta cheese
1 Small Potato, russett
1 c. Heavy cream
2 Ts. Butter
1 Ea. Celery root
¼ c. Parsley
¼ c. Arugula
¼ c. Watercress
¼ c. Tarragon
¼ c Fennel fronds
1 Ea. Lemon juice and zest
¼ c. Basil, Thai
¼ c. Chives
¼ c. Fennel stems
¼ c. Dill
1 c. Water
1 c. Sugar
1 c. White wine vinegar
¼ c. Basil
¼ c. Mint

1. Bake the potato at 350°F for 45 minutes to an hour. Pass through a fine sieve or ricer. Set aside to cool.
2. Remove the stems of from the chard and cut the stems in half length-wise. Cut into ¼ inch lengths. Bring the water, sugar and vinegar to a boil and pour over the stems. Let them pickle in refrigerator overnight.
3. Remove the stems from the kale and chiffonade half the kale along with the half the chard, parsley, tarragon, watercress, basil and mint. Mix with picked dill, fennel fronds, tarragon and rough chopped parsley.
4. In a big pot add I gallon of water and ½ c. salt bring it to a boil. Blanch the rest of the chard and kale for 1 minute. Shock in ice bath. Drain and squeeze all the water out of the leaves. Chop roughly.
5. Peel and dice the celery root. In a medium saucepan add butter and once melted add the diced celery root.
6. Season with salt and sweat for a minute. Add cream and enough cold water to cover. Bring up to a boil, turn down to simmer. Let simmer until the celery root is cooked through. Puree until smooth and pass through a fine sieve.
7. Cut the bell pepper in half lengthwise, remove seeds and white membrane. Coat with olive oil and roast in the oven at 350F for 25 minutes. Peel and dice small.
8. Zest the lemon, strain the chards stems and dice the fennel stems.
9. Mix raw herbs & greens, cooked greens, pickled stems, roasted peppers , fennel stems and feta in a bowl. Add potatoes and celery root puree to desired consistency or just until filling is bound. Adjust seasoning with salt.
10. Refrigerate until ready to fill pies.