I've always wondered how shepherds managed to carry their pies into the hills without making a mess of their rucksacks. This isn't a particularly portable dish and, although it can be eaten cold, it's better hot. I wouldn't recommend it for picnics or days out in the country, with sheep or otherwise. I always associate shepherd's pie with winter and indoors. My mum used to make it when I was very young, but she used minced meat. It's easy to make a vegetarian version and the filling I suggest here is just one of many possibilities.
Ingredients
About 700g of mashed
potato
1 tin of pinto beans
500g spinach
A handful of walnuts
1 onion
2 cloves of garlic
3 teaspoons of tomato paste
Ground coriander, black pepper and nutmeg
Salt
Olive oil
Chop the onion and fry in olive oil for a few minutes. Add the chopped or pounded walnuts along with the chopped garlic, spices and salt and fry for a further few minutes before adding the tomato paste and beans. Add a little water and stir, then pile the roughly chopped spinach on top of the mixture. Cover the pan and cook until the spinach is soft.
Stir the spinach into the bean mixture, then transfer the contents
of the pan to an oven dish. Spread the mixture evenly, then cover with a layer
of mashed potatoes. Use a fork to roughen the top of the potato layer, then
cook in a hot oven until the potato starts to brown.