Spinach Pie aka Warragul greens/New Zealand Spinach pie

Come gather your greens wherever they roam
and admit that the boundaries around us have grown
And accept it that soon we’ll be tied to our home
If your time to you is worth saving
then we’d better start growing or our tummies will moan
For the times they are a changin’

 This was supposed to be a recipe for the pie!

I raided my veggie garden and foraged within my 5km lockdown area – and created this variation on a classic.

Read this article on foraging for Warragul greens

Now, back to that recipe. Here goes…

Ingredients:

(boot up Oven to 180/200 degree C first)

• Filo pastry/GF pastry of some sort or a pie dish cover
• 2 big bowl fulls of greens (Warragul greens leaves, spinach, silverbeet/chard, sorrel, chicory, beetroot tops, radish & daikon tops, garden/paddock greens like dock, dandelion leaves and look alikes, lemon balm, lemon verbena, chenopodium, Chinese greens galore! – any edible leaves that wilt down well with heat. PS If some of these names are foreign to you check out some of my videos and Wild Foraging Walks for food and medicine (you’ll be surprised by how much we can use)
• 2 -3 eggs
• onion and/or garlic finely chopped; chives, spring onion etc
• packet fetta cheese
• 1/2 – 1 cup thick yoghurt or ricotta
• spices like pepper, cumin seeds/powder, cinnamon, cardamom, turmeric, chilli etc. A favourite of mine is approx 2 finely chopped kaffir lime leaves.

Method:

Wash greens well. Tear leaves off stalk if using Warragul greens (and remove hard flower/seed case). This is the most time consuming aspect : )

In a large pot with Olive oil shallow fry onion, garlic, spices if required.  Then add any chopped stalks from greens. Stir on low heat a few minutes then add all the green leaves. Try to keep moisture to a minimum otherwise too soggy in pie dish. If needed you can add a few drops of water to help the wilting without burning the pot.

Take off the heat. Pour off any excess liquid and keep for later to add to soups, smoothies etc – lots of great minerals here. Add chopped fetta, any other spices, ricotta/yoghurt then whisked eggs. Put into a large oiled oven dish and cover with layers of filo and olive oil brushed on between. (I usually fold a piece to fit the dish then oil between the double layers).

You can use other coverings like GF short crust pastry of Puff pastry or aluminium foil. The aim being to prevent excess drying of the contents. Place in hot oven for about 40 mins. Remove and enjoy : )