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I constantly look for recipes that are versatile. This one most definitely is. I make it more in the summer but occasionally crave it in winter too. It can be used for entertaining but it is a fantastic picnic food. Wrapped in baking parchment and foil and packed into a rucksack with a few sweet tomatoes and ginger beer and not much more is needed for a gloriously satisfying family picnic. A single slice often accompanies me on a dog walk that spans the middle of the day. Vegetarians are happy (I was a vegetarian for 9 years of my life) and it is surprisingly acceptable to my slightly fussy children so everyone is smiley.
Feta and spinach are a widely used combination for good reason. The dill is a wonderful addition that tastes so fresh. When I was studying in Riga, Latvia, I adored eating the traditional food- so fresh, so seasonal. Everyone seemed to grow dill in their gardens so naturally it went into nearly all the food. This recipe, I’m sure would have been appreciated there.
Although this pie is delicious warm, its virtue really lies in the fact that it can be quickly made in the evening for the planned picnic/ summer lunch the next day. In fact, it keeps very well in the fridge and is still delicious on day 3. This makes it a fabulous stand-by for preparing ahead of the weekend. It slices beautifully when cold.
Credit, where credit is due- although I have adapted this recipe in terms of method, the idea and some of the ingredients list is originally from the wonderful Delicious magazine, May 2012.
Ingredients
1 large red onion thinly sliced
450g spinach
1 tbsp sunflower oil
500g pack of good quality ready made shortcrust pastry
300g feta cheese, roughly crumbled
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 tbsp chopped fresh dill
Freshly ground black pepper
Tin
20 cm loose bottomed cake tin (I don’t grease or line mine and it comes out no problem)
Oven
Pre-heat the oven to 180C (Fan 160C)/ Gas Mark 4
Method
1. In a large frying pan, heat the oil and gently fry the red onion until it is softened but not too browned (about 5 minutes). Add the spinach and cook until it is wilted. Don’t worry, it will seem like the spinach will never fit in the pan but it wilts down so much it will all fit in no problem once the first half has had a few seconds in the pan.
2. Transfer the cooked spinach and red onion to a colander. Squash it with a metal spoon to squeeze out most of the liquid.
3. Roll out the pastry until it is a few cm bigger than the tin (as shown in the picture above). Don’t worry about it looking perfect, this is a rustic pie/ tart!
4. Line the tin with the pastry, pressing it into the edges but allowing the excess few cm to hang over the edge.
5. Separate about 1 tbsp of the beaten egg into a small bowl. This will be used for brushing the top of the pastry.
6. In a bowl, combine the remaining beaten eggs, feta and dill. Add the spinach and red onion and stir to combine. Season with a little ground black pepper (you may want to omit this if it is to be served to children- mine hate pepper).
6. Pour the spinach/ feta filling into the pastry- lined tin.
7. Bring up the pastry edges and fold towards the centre of the pie in rough pleats (as shown in the picture). Brush the top with the reserved beaten egg.
8. Bake in the centre of the oven for 40- 45 minutes until it is golden brown and the centre feels set.
9. Leave to cool or serve warm.
ScrummyWalks 