Vegetarian mains
Chard and sheep’s cheese pie
This is, in essence, a Greek spanakopita. Traditionally made with spinach, they have been the mainstay of most veggie cafes for decades, and for good reason. They are made of very few, but very tasty ingredients.
Ingredients
- 1 head of chard
- 1 large onion, finely sliced
- handful each of dill and parsley, chopped
- 150g wootton white sheep's cheese or feta
- 1 nutmeg
- 1 pack of filo pastry
- 50g butter, melted
- 1 tsp poppy seeds
- salt and pepper
Method
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Step 1
Put a pan of salted water on to boil. Preheat your oven to 180°C/Gas 4. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in the saucepan and cook the onion gently for 10 minutes. Meanwhile wash the chard and strip the leaves away from the stalks. Finely dice the stalks and add them to the onions. Cook the stalks and onions for a further 5 minutes.
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Step 2
Add the chard leaves to the pan of boiling water and cook for just shy of 1 minute until wilted. Drain and cool immediately under cold running water. Drain and squeeze out as much excess water as you can. Roughly chop the leaves. In a bowl crumble the cheese together with the onions, chard stalks, chopped leaves and herbs.
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Step 3
Season with a cautious pinch of salt, pepper and a grating of nutmeg. Remove the filo from the packet and lay it out. Brush the bottom of a small baking dish with a little butter. Lay out a sheet of filo on your work surface and brush with a little melted butter. Lay inside the baking dish; you want some overhanging.
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Step 4
Repeat with half the filo, buttering each layer as you go. Spoon in the filling and even it out. Lay over the rest of pastry, brushing each sheet as before. Tuck in the edges and brush with butter to seal. Sprinkle with the poppy seeds. Bake for about 30 minutes, depending on your oven, until the top is golden and crispy.