Spring in the UK comes early, and when I brought my daughter to see her godmother in London it was a flurry of blossoms, green stubbled grass, and muddy tromps in borrowed boots.

We had a gaggle of kids, and the kind of laughs that are only shared with very old friends, wind-red faces from our blustery walk, and a cozy lunch at our friend’s house deep in the countryside.

Outside, the rain came and inside the kids and grown-ups alike tucked into traditional fish pie, buttery potatoes and bits of tender fish.  It was the first dish my daughter asked me to make when we returned home with stories of our trip and a recipe I remake often.

While I love comfort food, which fish pie certainly is, I like doing a modern twist on it, adding vegetables so it becomes a meal-in-one, working in layers for ease of serving and presentation, adding in whatever I have on hand.

This time of year I begin to dig through the freezer, using up whatever vegetables I picked and cut and froze last summer, the stray handful of corn or whole bag of purple peppers.  Soon the freezer will be empty and it will be time to restock.

For now, though, it’s fish pie and old friends.