Scrape the carrots and cut them in thick slices. Wash and trim the potatoes and cut them in quarters, or into 1-inch pieces. Cut the onion in 1-inch pieces. Trim and thoroughly wash the leeks, cut them in half lengthwise, and slice them thickly. Combine these vegetables in a large sauté pan with the broth, water, and salt, and simmer for about 15 minutes.

Peel the Tahitian squash and cut it in 1-inch cubes. Trim the green onions and cut them in 1-inch lengths. Peel the dry husks off the tomatillos and cut them in quarts. Add these vegetables to the pan, along with the chile salsa, and simmer, uncovered, for at least another ½ hour, or until all the vegetables are completely tender and the liquid is reduced by about half. You should have a stew, not a soup.

Trim and cut the zucchini in thick slices. Add it to the stew and simmer 5 minutes, then stir in the cilantro leaves. Taste and correct the seasoning if necessary. For a spicier dish, you can add some hot salsa at this point, tasting until you achieve the heat you like. Ladle the stew into a large gratin dish, or into two 8 by 11 inch glass baking dishes.

To prepare the masa: Simmer the corn in the milk for about 6 minutes, or until it’s quite soft. Sometimes at this point I reserve a few spoonfuls of the corn kernels, and then stir them into the finished masa for more texture. Puree the mixture in a blender.

Sift together 2 cups of the dry masa, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl, whip the softened butter with an electric mixer until it is fluffy. Alternately add spoonfuls of the corn puree and the dry mixture, beating each time, until everything is well combined. The masa should be light, fluffy, just firm enough to hold a soft shape. If it seems too dry, beat in a little more milk. If it seems too wet, add a touch more dry masa harina. Fold in the whole corn kernels if you have reserved them.

Beat the egg whites until they are stiff. Stir a third of the beaten whites into the masa to lighten it, then gently fold in the remainder.

Coarsely grate the cheddar cheese and toss it in a bowl with 2 tablespoons of masa harina. Sprinkle the cheese over the vegetables in the gratin dish, then spoon the prepared masa over it evenly.

Bake the pie in a 375 degree oven for about 40 minutes. The crust should be a bit puffed up and golden brown, and the juices of the vegetable stew bubbling.

Serve at once, with the hot salsa of your choice, and a fruit salad.

The new Vegetarian Epicure p126

Anna Thomas