Summer Greens Filo Pie

This summer greens filo pie is a great way of using summer greens, spinach works well in early summer, kale is a great addition as we head towards autumn.

Serves [4]

Ingredients

Filling

a splash or two of olive oil
200 grams of mixed summer greens, shredded stems and leaves separate (chard, spinach and kale all work well)
1 stick of celery, finely diced
1 red onion chopped (spring onions are a good alternative)
zest of 1 lemon (you can use a fine grater)
big bunch of mixed herbs roughly chopped (a mix of dill, mint and parsley work well)
2 medium eggs
400 grams of soft cheese (ideally feta or similar)
2 tablespoons of date syrup (optional)
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, fresh ideally (optional)
sea salt and black pepper to season

Pastry

4 large sheets of filo pastry
seeds to decorate, nigella or poppy work well (optional)

Method

Preheat oven to 180 celsius.
To make the filling: Put a pan on a medium heat, add a splash of olive oil to coat the bottom. Add the celery and the stems from the summer greens (most important for kale where the stems are hardier) and the red onion, sweat for 3 minutes.
Add the shredded summer green leaves and cook until sweated down to reduce in volume for a few minutes. The amount of time this takes will depend on the greens you have used kale takes longer to cook than spinach as an example. Remove from the heat.
Crack the eggs into a bowl and whisk with a fork. Add the soft cheese and break up with a fork, add the nutmeg (if using) and date syrup (if using). Stir in the lemon zest, herbs, season with sea salt and cracked black pepper. Once the greens have cooled, add them to the bowl with the egg mixture and stir gently to combine
To assemble the pie: Lay the first two sheets of filo pastry on a flat surface and brush with olive oil. Then place the remaining two layers over the top. Now lift the sheets to rest on top of the frying pan or dish, and push into the base leaving the excess hanging evenly round the edges.
Spoon the filling mixture into the lined dish. Fold the excess layers of pastry over the top then brush with olive oil. Sprinkle with seeds to decorate and bake in the oven for 35 minutes, checking it’s not burning occasionally.
This pie is best served when it has cooled down, ideal for a picnic, barbecue or buffet.