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Anne Giles's secrets for the perfect party are out. This Austin homemaker and mother of two (Jackson, 2; and Kathryn Estelle, 6) has long been known for her dinner parties. She and her husband, real estate developer Jackson Giles, have delighted crowds of guests with their easygoing but exquisitely detailed evenings at home. "I love to entertain," she says, "but I really enjoy the organizing and the production part of it. By the time the party happens, I've done everything that needs to be done in advance."

Anne Giles doesn't mind leaking that kind of information. But the recipe for her vegetable pie, the rich, earthy, pizzalike concoction featured here (try it with a simple green salad for a quick, satisfying meal), has her worried -- it's a victim of poor security in the kitchen. "One friend kept bugging me for the recipe," Giles says. "She even chased my husband down in the airport to ask him for it. So finally I broke down and gave it to her. But she fixed it for her bridge club, and now it's all over Austin." With culinary secrets this good, who can blame friends for a little espionage?

Crust

1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons cold milk
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Filling

1/2 pound broccoli tips (about 2 stalks)
2 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon dried basil or 3 teaspoons chopped fresh basil
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme or
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1/4 to 1/2 cup (1 bunch) chopped green onions
2 fresh tomatoes, thinly sliced
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine crust ingredients, shape into ball, and press evenly into 9-inch pie pan.

Boil broccoli 3 minutes in salted water. Rinse with cold water and drain. Combine cheeses, flour, pepper, basil, thyme, and onion. Put half of mixture in pie shell. Layer broccoli, then tomatoes, on top. Add remaining cheese mixture. Pour butter over pie. Bake 30 minutes. Let stand a few minutes before slicing. Serve warm or at room temperature.