Recipes for Swiss Chard Braised with Olives and Feta (Σέσκουλο με Ελιές και Φέτα) & Pancakes with Leftover Greens, Olives and Feta

Greens season is here. Gardens and farmers’ markets in Anchorage are filled with every type of cool weather green. Swiss chard, spinach, and kale are in their prime.


It’s also the season during which many Alaskans are doing hard duty out on the salmon grounds, making sure freezers are filled with fish for the upcoming winter.


The best reason to eat greens and salmon is they just plain taste good. Luckily, both are good for your health: greens because they’re high in vitamins, minerals, and fiber and salmon because it’s loaded with omega-3 fatty acids


Freshly caught salmon has so much flavor it doesn’t need anything more than salt, pepper, and a little time on the grill or cast-iron pan.  Swiss Chard Braised with Olives and Feta is a good accompaniment. The greens’ earthiness, when paired with salty olives and feta, balances fresh salmon’s richness.

Swiss Chard Braised with Olives and Feta (Σέσκουλο με Ελιές και Φέτα)
Serves 4
Any greens, wild or domesticated or, better yet, a mixture of greens, can be substituted for Swiss chard.  This is delicious made with plain Kalamata olives, but I prefer using Roasted Kalamata Olives. Dry-cured or salt-cured olives (such as those from Thassos) may be substituted, but be sure to taste them and use less than 1/2 cup if they’re strong flavored. Most Greeks squeeze a lemon wedge over braised greens; I like them better plain. Serve lemon wedges on the side so each eater can choose their own amount of lemon. Swiss Chard Braised with Olives and Feta goes well with grilled or pan-fried salmon and other simply cooked seafood.


2 large or 3 medium bunches Swiss chard (about 10-12 cups cleaned, chopped leaves)

2 Tbsp. olive oil

2 Tbsp. minced garlic

1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives, roughly chopped

Freshly ground black pepper

Salt

1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled

Lemon wedges


Strip Swiss chard leaves from stems; reserve stems for another use.  Wash and roughly chop the leaves (don’t dry leaves; the clinging water helps cook them).

In a Dutch oven or deep sauté pan, sauté garlic in olive oil over medium heat for 30 seconds, being very careful not to burn the garlic. Stir in Swiss chard, olives, a liberal seasoning of black pepper, and a light seasoning of salt (olives and feta also add salt). Cover, turn heat down to low, and cook until chard is tender, but not falling apart. (The dish may be made ahead to this point and reheated just before serving.)

Remove chard and olives from pan with slotted spoon. Put in serving bowl along with the feta. Toss well.  Serve with lemon wedges on the side.

Bonus Recipe

Pancakes with Leftover Greens, Olives and Feta
Makes 4-6 pancakes
Too lazy to make crepes, I mixed leftover Swiss Chard Braised with Olives and Feta into a simple batter and cooked it into pancakes. These cakes contain the same flavors as crepes, but can be mixed and cooked in less than 1/2 hour with a lot less hassle.  I served the savory pancakes with soft goat cheese, basil shreds, and thinly sliced prosciutto; they made a lovely lunch.


3/4 - 1 cup leftover greens, olives, and feta

3/4 – 1 cup milk

3/4 cup flour

1 egg

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Oil for griddle


Put leftover greens in a strainer set over a bowl, press down to squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Measure the liquid and add enough milk to make one cup.  Whisk egg and half the milk mixture into flour. Whisk in remaining milk mixture. Whisk in greens and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Heat small amount of oil in a griddle or cast iron frying pan over medium heat.  When pan is hot, ladle in 1/2 cup batter, spreading it out to form a 7” circle. Cook it on one side until it’s dry around the edges and the underside is nicely browned when lifted. Flip and cook on the second side.  Repeat until all the batter is used.

Serve plain, with cheese, or with thinly sliced prosciutto or salami.

Recipe for Squash Blossom Frittata (Κολοκυθοανθοί με Αυγά)

Haul from Wednesday's Farmers' Market: parsley, dill, Swiss chard, beets, spinach, broccoli, orach, zucchini, squash blossoms, cucumbers, tomatoes

Farmers’ market season is upon us. Stalls are bursting with fresh greens and herbs. Early broccoli and zucchini are spottily available. The first bunches of baby carrots appeared today. 

Making Tostadas

Surprises abound at the markets: scarlet vine-ripened tomatoes from Delta Junction, Matanuska Creamery's Caramel Cashew ice cream made using only milk from Alaska, steaming pots of homemade pozole and elote, blowsy ‘Flemish Antique’ peony poppies, freshly gathered duck and chicken eggs from Future Farmers of America.

Among the abundance, golden squash blossoms stand out as a rare treat. Never in stores, they're available only during their short season to home gardeners and farmers’ market shoppers. So far this year, only Rempel Family Farm is selling squash blossoms in Anchorage (50 cents each on Wednesday at Northway Mall Farmers’ Market and Saturday at South Anchorage Farmers’ Market).

Delicate squash blossoms don't like plastic bags. If paper bags aren't available, wrap in newspaper.

All squash blossoms are edible and may be used interchangeably. Because we grow zucchini at home, I’ve gotten used to calling them zucchini flowers. The more generic term, squash blossoms, is usually more accurate when buying from farmers who grow a wider range of squash.

I love stuffing squash blossoms with cheese and cooking them until they’re crispy and oozing with hot, melted cheese. (Tastes Like Home: Mediterranean Cooking in Alaska has recipes for 2 different cheese fillings for zucchini flowers.) Herby essence of basil brightens the flavor of Cheesy Potato-Basil Stuffing for zucchini flowers, and pairs well with a side of fresh greens. Squash blossoms are also tasty dipped in a tempura batter and simply fried.

Blue and brown eggs from Future Farmers of America; both had deep golden yolks.

On days when I want the flavor of squash blossoms, and don’t want to fiddle around or mess with hot oil, I make Squash Blossom Frittata.  Today we had farm-fresh, golden-yolked eggs, fresh herbs, and creamy fresh goat cheese to pair with the squash blossoms. Sighs of satisfaction replaced conversation as we ate; I finished by licking my fingers, wanting more.

Squash Blossom Frittata (Κολοκυθοανθοί με Αυγά)

Serves 2-4

Food writers often advise to remove pistils and stamens from inside squash blossoms, as well as the green bases (calyxes/calyces) and stems. Don’t do it. These parts are all edible and add wonderful flavor and texture. I remove the stems in this recipe purely for decorative reasons; without stems, the blossoms form a perfect pinwheel in the frittata. Use enough flowers to complete a pinwheel; about 8 large, 10 medium, or 12 small.  Accompany Squash Blossom Frittata with a crisp garden lettuce salad and dry white wine.

8-12 squash blossoms

5 eggs

2 Tbsp. minced fresh dill

1/2 cup diced shallots, 1/4” dice (may substitute green onions, see Note below)

1 Tbsp. butter, plus 1 tsp. (divided)

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

3-4 Tbsp. fresh goat cheese

Dill sprigs for garnish (optional)

Prepare the Squash Blossoms:  If necessary, gently brush off dirt or debris from flowers; don’t wash or get them wet. Carefully open flowers and shake out any insect hitchhikers. Cut off stems, but leave green bases attached. 

Prepare Eggs:  Whisk together eggs and dill with a light seasoning of salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Using a heavy 9-10” oven-proof frying pan (cast iron works best), sauté shallots, lightly seasoned with salt and freshly ground black pepper, in 1 Tbsp. butter until they soften and start to turn golden.  Add sautéed shallots to eggs and whisk to blend (reserve excess butter in pan for cooking frittata).

Cook Frittata:  Preheat broiler to high.

Melt remaining 1 tsp. butter in pan used to cook shallots, arrange squash blossoms in pinwheel around bottom, and cook over medium heat for 30 seconds. Turn blossoms, and evenly pour whisked egg mixture over them. Break goat cheese into pieces and scatter over eggs. Turn heat down to low, cover pan, and cook until eggs are almost set, but still runny on top, about 4-5 minutes.  Put under broiler to finish cooking eggs. Flip out onto platter, garnish with dill sprigs, and serve.

Note: Green onions may, but don’t need to, be sautéed. If you use green onions and don’t sauté them, reduce butter to 2 tsp. and whisk green onions into eggs with dill.

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This post is included in Weekend Herb Blogging compiled by Cinzia from Cindystar.

Peony Poppy 'Flemish Antique', Papavar somniferum paeoniflorum

Recipes for Sausage and Lentils with Spiced Figs & Crostini with Gorgonzola and Spiced Figs

It’s nearly August and the peas are just coming into bloom. Usually, we’d've been eating them for weeks, but this year the weather has been unseasonably cold and rainy. The local newspaper is referring to it as “the so-called summer of ‘08.”

Blame it on La Niña. When the ocean off Peru is 2 to 4 degrees lower than normal, as it has been this year, the “La Niña” weather pattern brings cool weather to Alaska.

Most food sold here comes from “outside,” the Alaska word for the world beyond our state. Walking through supermarket produce sections, full to the gunnels with summer fruits and vegetables, it’s clear that outsiders are enjoying summer weather.

Last week Costco had pallet-loads of fresh fruit from California, including the first figs of the season to arrive in Alaska. I’m a sucker for figs, and these were in perfect condition.

We ate them plain, stuffed with cheese, and wrapped in prosciutto. But with the final six figs, in honor of our “so-called summer,” I wanted to make something warming.

Time to pull out one of the recipes on my “must try someday” list: Sausages and Lentils with Spiced Figs from Diana Henry’s book Crazy Water, Pickled Lemons.

The combination of sausages, lentils, and spiced figs was wonderful. Even my husband, who typically doesn’t like fruit and meat together, thought the figs added terrific flavor to the dish. It was one of those meals where I actively enjoyed every bite.

The recipe made more figs than we could eat in one meal. The leftovers were a fortuitous kitchen bonus that I used to make Crostini with Gorgonzola and Spiced Figs.

The piquant flavor of blue cheese blended seamlessly with the spiced figs. It was so good I want always to keep a jar of spiced figs in the refrigerator for quick and easy last-minute appetizers. Each bite was a flavor revelation.

Sausages and Lentils with Spiced Figs
Serves 4
Adapted from Crazy Water, Pickled Lemons: Enchanting Dishes from the Middle East, Mediterranean and North Africa by Diana Henry (Mitchell Beazley 2002)
Spiced figs enhance the flavors of earthy lentils and succulent sausage. Be sure to serve the figs in a bowl on the side, so diners can eat as many or as few as they like. Although I modified Diana’s sausage and lentil recipe for our palates (the below recipe is as modified), I followed her directions for the spiced figs. They were delicious, though next time I’ll simplify the recipe by using equal quantities of red and balsamic vinegars; sherry vinegar’s flavor is lost in the mix. Not all figs need to be peeled; I peel only when the fig skins are beat-up or unusually thick.

Spiced Figs:
12 – 15 fresh figs
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup sherry vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
1 cinnamon stick

Sausages and Lentils:
3 pieces thick-cut bacon
4 bratwurst or other fresh pork sausages
2 cups diced onions (1/2” dice)
1/2 cup diced carrots (1/4” dice)
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup small lentils, such as Puy or beluga
1 Tbsp. minced fresh garlic
1 Tbsp. minced fresh rosemary
1 cup white wine
3 - 4 cups chicken stock

Make the Spiced Figs: Peel the figs, if necessary, and cut them in half. Mix the vinegars, sugar, and cinnamon stick in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Turn the heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the figs, cut side down and simmer for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat, turn the figs over, and let them cool in the saucepan.

Make the Sausages and Lentils: Cut the bacon into thin, cross-cut strips. In a large pot, cook the bacon until it’s crispy. Remove the bacon pieces with a slotted spoon and let drain on paper towels. Brown the sausages on all sides (there’s no need to cook them through) and remove to a plate.

In the same pan, sauté the onions and carrots, lightly seasoned with salt and freshly ground black pepper, in the bacon fat, being sure to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. When the onions soften and start to turn golden, stir in the lentils, garlic, and rosemary and cook for 1 minute. Add the wine, 3 cups chicken stock, bacon, sausages, salt and freshly ground black pepper, and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat to medium-low and simmer for 30 – 45 minutes or until the lentils are tender but not mushy. If the lentils dry out as they cook, add the remaining stock. When the lentils are done, taste and add salt or freshly ground black pepper, as needed.

Serve immediately with the spiced figs in a bowl on the side.

Crostini with Gorgonzola and Spiced Figs
If you keep spiced figs as a refrigerator staple, this appetizer can be quickly put together for 2 or 20.

Thinly sliced artisan-style bread
Gorgonzola or other blue cheese
Spiced figs (see above recipe)

Lightly toast the bread and cut into 2" pieces. Spread it with gorgonzola. Top with a piece of spiced fig.
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This is my entry for My Legume Love Affair: Second Helping, an event created and hosted by Susan from The Well-Seasoned Cook. The deadline for legume entries is August 24.

Recipe for Devil’s Club Gnocchi (or Spinach Gnocchi) with Gorgonzola Sauce

I’ve always played with my food and eaten with my fingers. As a child, these habits got me into trouble. As an adult, they led me into the kitchen; there’s no more satisfying way than cooking to play with your food.

My favorite kind of playing with food involves foraging. Rooting around outside to harvest tasty wild plants is, in itself, great entertainment. Being able to experiment with their unusual flavors in the kitchen is the bonus prize.

I wrote about the unique flavor of devil’s club, a wild plant growing primarily on the Pacific coast of the United States from Alaska to California, in this post: How to Harvest Devil’s Club Shoots and Recipe for Sautéed Devil’s Club Shoots with Onions.

Yesterday, I played with devil’s club shoots. First, I made Devil’s Club Pesto (splendid and coming soon). Continuing the Italian theme, I made Devil’s Club Gnocchi with Gorgonzola Sauce, adapting a Mario Batali recipe for a similarly sauced Spinach Gnocchi.

The result was even better than I’d expected, and my expectations were high. The fresh and slightly resiny flavor of devil’s club shoots was balanced perfectly by a deliciously creamy gorgonzola sauce. I’ll definitely make this again.

I also tried the Devil’s Club Gnocchi with a quick tomato sauce. This flavor combination didn’t work. Or maybe it’s just the gorgonzola sauce was so much better that the tomato-devil’s club combination paled in comparison.

For the 99% of my readers who don’t have access to devil’s club shoots, make the gnocchi with spinach. Or nettles. Or whatever flavorful green strikes your fancy.

Go ahead; play with your food.

Devil’s Club Gnocchi with Gorgonzola Sauce
Serves 4
Adapted from Molto Mario
After blanching the devil’s club shoots in salted, boiling water, squeeze out as much water from them as possible; this is easiest to do using a clean dish towel as a wringer. For how to gather, clean, and blanch devil's club shoots, go here.

Gnocchi:
2 cups cleaned, blanched, and wrung-out devil’s club shoots
1 pound potatoes
1 egg
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 – 1 cup all-purpose flour

Gorgonzola Sauce:
1 1/2 cups crumbled gorgonzola (6 ounces)
1/4 cup butter (2 ounces – 1/2 stick)
2 Tbsp. Pernod
1/2 tsp. Aleppo pepper (optional)
Finely ground black pepper
1/4 chopped parsley
1/4 cup chopped chives

Make the Gnocchi: Chop the devil’s club in a food processor (or with a knife) until it is very fine.

Cut the potatoes in large chunks and cook them in boiling salted water until tender. Peel the potatoes and put them through a food mill (or whip until very smooth).

Mix the devil’s club, potatoes, egg, and salt (don’t use a food processor). Stir in 3/4 cup flour. Dump the dough on a floured surface. Knead lightly, adding flour as necessary to prevent the dough from being sticky.

Divide the dough into 2” balls. Using your fingertips, roll out each ball on a floured surface into a long, 3/4” diameter, rope. Cut the rope into 3/4” pieces. To make ridged gnocchi, roll each piece of dough off the back of a fork, pressing lightly down as you roll. Put the finished gnocchi on a lightly floured surface, in a single layer.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

Put 1/3 of gnocchi in the boiling water. When they float, use a slotted spoon to remove them to a bowl of ice water. Cook the remaining 2 batches of gnocchi and put them in ice water. Drain well.

Make the Sauce: In a pan large enough to hold all the gnocchi, melt the gorgonzola and butter over medium heat. Stir in the Pernod, Aleppo pepper, and freshly ground black pepper and bring to a simmer. Cook until the liquid evaporates, 4 – 5 minutes. Add the gnocchi, and toss to distribute the sauce. Add the parsley and half the chives and toss again. Divide between 4 plates and sprinkle with the remaining chives. Serve immediately.

Spinach Gnocchi
Replace the devil’s club with 2 pounds fresh spinach (2 bunches) that have been washed, blanched, and wrung out. (Wash the spinach and remove the stems. Blanch in boiling salted water for 1 minute. Remove the spinach to a bowl of ice water. Drain and squeeze out as much water from the spinach as possible; this is easiest to do using a clean dish towel as a wringer.)
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This is my entry for Vegetables, Beautiful Vegetables 2008 hosted by Abby at Eat the Right Stuff.

Recipes: Fig Tapenade, Garlicky Goat Cheese Spread, and Garlic Croutons

When I was shopping for Christmas Eve dinner, I spied a tempting display of organic dried fruits. I succumbed to the call of black mission figs, and brought home a large bag. When the time came for holiday entertaining, I turned to the figs.

Several months ago, I’d read a recipe for fig and olive tapenade. I love tapenade, a Provençal paste of black olives, anchovies, capers, herbs, garlic, lemon, and olive oil, so decided to pair it with my bounty of figs. Unfortunately, I couldn’t remember where I’d read about fig tapenade, a distressing complication of owning too many cookbooks.

I did find a few recipes for tapenade with figs on the internet, but either the ingredient list or procedure didn’t appeal to me, so I was stuck with creating my own version. I started with a basic tapenade, left out the anchovies, and added figs and a healthy dose of wild thyme.

The sweet figs and salty olives and capers combine to form a deliciously vibrant spread. I made it this morning, enjoyed Fig Tapenade and Rosemary Bread for lunch, and brought the rest to a New Year’s Eve party tonight.

The best thing about Fig Tapenade is how easy it is to make. The ingredients are simply tossed into the food processor and processed until smooth. The flavor comes from good ingredients, not hard work on the part of the cook.

Fig Tapenade is rich and flavorful. It can be served on its own with crusty bread, or dressed up, as I did tonight, with Garlicky Goat Cheese Spread and Croutons.

Fig Tapenade
Makes about 2 cups
Although it may be tempting to buy pitted olives, their flavor pales in comparison to that of olives with pits. To easily pit Kalamata olives, spread them out on a cutting board and smash each olive with a meat pounder or other heavy object. After being pounded, the pits slip right out of the olives.

1 cup dried black mission figs
1 1/2 cups Kalamata olives
2 Tbsp. capers, preferably salt-cured
1 Tbsp. dried thyme, crushed
1 Tbsp. minced fresh rosemary
1 Tbsp. chopped garlic
3 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup olive oil

Cut any stems off the figs, and cut the figs into quarters. Rinse, drain, and dry the olives and capers. Remove the pits from the olives.

Place all the ingredients, except the olive oil, in a food processor, and process until the ingredients are chopped into small pieces. While the machine is running, pour in the olive oil and continue processing until the ingredients form a smooth paste. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and process again. Place in a glass container and refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving.

Garlicky Goat Cheese Spread
Makes 2 cups
If you prefer mild hints of garlic, use the smaller amount; bolder palates may prefer the full measure. Garlicky Goat Cheese Spread may be served in a bowl, or unmolded onto a platter. If you want to serve it unmolded, line a bowl large enough to hold the spread with plastic wrap. Spoon the spread into the plastic-lined bowl, press down to remove any air pockets, and cover the spread with plastic wrap. To unmold, open up the plastic wrap so the spread is exposed, invert the bowl onto a platter, then remove the bowl and plastic wrap.

1 – 3 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup (8 ounces) chèvre (soft goat cheese)
1/2 cup mascarpone or cream cheese
1/2 cup whole-milk yogurt or sour cream

Puree the garlic by mashing it together with the salt either in a mortar and pestle or on a cutting board with the flat side of a knife blade. Mash the pureed garlic, chèvre, mascarpone, and yogurt together (this may be done in a food processor). Refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving.

Garlic Croutons

1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/4 tsp. salt
2 baguettes, cut into thin slices

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Mix all the ingredients together in a small bowl. Brush the garlic butter-oil mixture onto one side of each baguette slice. Put the buttered baguette slices in one layer on a baking sheet and cook for 10 – 15 minutes, or until the bread slices are crispy.

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This is my entry for A Fruit of the Month: Dried Fruit hosted by The 'Yum' Blog. It is also my entry for Antioxidant Rich Foods/5-a-Day Tuesdays sponsored by Sweetnicks.

Recipe: Tomato Sauce with Celery and Mint (Σάλτσα με Σέλινο και Δυόσμο)

Tomato Sauce with Celery and Mint is for days when you want a quick meal, with lots of flavor, that doesn’t take much effort. From start to finish, this full-flavored sauce is finished in about 30 minutes.

The sauce can be used in any recipe that calls for tomato sauce, and is a good topping for all kinds of pasta. I particularly like it with cheese stuffed ravioli or tortelloni. Costco now carries organic ravioli stuffed with spinach and cheese that pairs well with the sauce; the ravioli is made by Monterey Pasta Company.

Tomato Sauce with Celery and Mint is made with leaf celery, which is the only celery available in the village where we live in Greece. I add the celery in two stages to better accentuate its flavor. The sauce can also be made with ordinary supermarket celery, although the celery flavor will be milder if this type is used. For more information about leaf celery, go here.

Aleppo pepper is a moderately spicy red chili pepper sold in crushed flakes. Its sharp but fruity taste pairs well with Mediterranean food. I’m never without it.

Aleppo pepper originally came from Syria, near the city of Aleppo, but now may be imported into the United States from Turkey due to trade embargos with Syria. Supermarket crushed red pepper is a fine, but spicier and less flavorful, substitute for Aleppo pepper. One-half teaspoon of supermarket crushed red pepper should be used in lieu of one teaspoon Aleppo pepper.

Aleppo pepper is available from Penzey’s, The Spice House, and World Spice Merchants.


Tomato Sauce with Celery and Mint (Σάλτσα με Σέλινο και Δυόσμο)
Serve over pasta with fresh goat cheese. A watercress and curly endive salad, lightly dressed with vinegar and olive oil, goes well with pasta and this sauce.

2 cups diced onions, 1/4” dice
3/4 cup finely sliced stalks from leaf celery
3 Tbsp. olive oil
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp. Aleppo pepper or 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
1 14.5-ounce can crushed tomatoes
3/4 cup dry white wine
3/4 cup finely shredded leaves from leaf celery
2 Tbsp. minced mint
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. sugar (optional)

Sauté the onions and celery stalks, lightly seasoned with salt and freshly ground black pepper, in olive oil until the onion starts to turn golden. Stir in the Aleppo pepper and cook for one minute. Stir in the crushed tomatoes and wine and bring to a boil. Cook rapidly for five minutes, stirring constantly. Turn down the heat to medium, stir in the celery, mint, and garlic and simmer for 10 minutes. Taste and add the optional sugar if the sauce is too acidic. Simmer for 5 minutes or until the sauce is the thickness you desire. Taste and add salt and freshly ground black pepper, if needed.

Recipe: Plasto (Greens and Cornbread)

I'm on a greens kick.

We recently harvested the last bitter greens from the garden. And Full Circle Farm, a Washington organic farm that extends its CSA program to Alaska, has been offering an impressive selection of greens; many are in my refrigerator. (Participants in the CSA program receive weekly or biweekly boxes of fresh organic vegetables, and can also order extra organic vegetables, fruits, and specialty grocery items.)

This week my Full Circle Farm box included Swiss chard, beet greens, and domesticated dandelions. Despite having made two Hortopitas in the last week, I wanted more greens. For the sake of variety, I made Plasto instead of more Hortopita, and mixed the bitter greens from our garden with the sweeter Full Circle Farm varieties.

I discovered Plasto leafing through an old Greek church cookbook (St. Nicholas Orthodox Church: Greek Kouzina, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 1980), one of nearly 400 Greek cookbooks in my collection (a tribute to irresistable impulses and obsession). This Plasto recipe sandwiched spinach between two layers of Jiffy corn muffin mix. The recipe details were uninspiring, but the concept of mixing greens with cornmeal in a single dish intrigued me.

Despite years of studying Greek cuisine, I had not heard of Plasto. I quickly searched through my cookbook collection, and did not find a single other recipe for the dish. I searched the internet for any Greek dish combining greens and cornmeal and found 19 pages of recipes combining the two ingredients, most in Greek.

Although the recipes were similar, they had a full orchestra of names: Patsaria, Blatsaria, Batsaria, Batzara, Blano, Plastos, Plasto, Plastira, Pispilita, Paspalopita, Bobota, Bobotopita, Babanetsa, Spanakopita Epirotiki, Hortopita with Kalambokalevro (Cornmeal), Pita Masodra, and Lachanopsomo. The recipes emphasized different dimensions of the cornmeal and greens combination, but none seemed exactly right to me. Either the cornmeal layers had an undesirable consistency, or the greens mixture was too bland, or the greens were cooked into a slurry.

I developed a recipe that may not be traditional, but it fulfills what I had imagined when I first saw the Plasto recipe. The top cornbread crust is browned and beautiful, and the juicy filling bubbes up the sides of the pan when it comes out of the oven. It smells great. When cut, the sight of the golden cornbread crust, and the deep green filling studded with white pockets of cheese, makes my mouth water.

The crunchy cornmeal crust of Plasto contrasts nicely with the softer texture of the filling. And in the filling, the herbs, greens, cheese, and onions meld with greens to form a single flavor, bringing out the best in all the ingredients.

Leftovers: Leftover Plasto makes a delicious cold meal, as the filling's flavors continue to develop over night. It may even be better cold as a lovely cornbread and greens sandwich. When I first tasted Plasto hot, I was sorry I had not made it with feta cheese. However, when I ate it cold, I basked in the correctness of my decision to use goat and cottage cheeses, whose flavors are more subtle than salty feta.

Plasto is a recipe for days when I want something not too complicated and reliably good.

Plasto (Πλαστό)

Serves 6-8

Cornmeal Layer
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup flour
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. soda
1 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup water
2 eggs
3 Tbsp. butter

Greens Layer
2 pounds mixed wild or supermarket greens
3 cups chopped yellow onion
1/2 cup olive oil
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp. Aleppo pepper, or 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper (optional)
1/2 cup fresh dill, minced (1 box)
1/2 cup fresh mint, minced (1 box)

Cheese: either 4 ounces goat cheese and 3/4 cup large curd cottage cheese or 1 1/4 cup crumbled feta

Preheat the oven to 400F. Grease a 10x10” pan with butter.

Wash the greens, and blanch them in boiling salted water. Drain and, using a kitchen towel, squeeze out as much water as possible from the greens. Chop them roughly.

Sauté the onion, lightly seasoned with salt and freshly ground black pepper, in olive oil over medium heat until the onions soften and begin to turn golden. Stir in the Aleppo pepper.

Mix together the chopped greens, sautéed onions (including the oil), dill, mint, and cheese. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Mix all the dry ingredients for the cornmeal layer together. Whisk together the eggs, yogurt, and water until the ingredients are well blended. Melt the butter. Stir the egg mixture into the dry ingredients until they are almost, but not quite, completely mixed. Stir in the melted butter just until thoroughly combined.

Spread half of the cornmeal mix over the bottom of the buttered pan. Spread the greens mix over the cornmeal layer, and then spread, as evenly as possible, the remaining cornmeal mix over the greens. Bake in a preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until the top crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling up the sides of the pan.

Let the Plasto rest for 5-10 minutes before cutting and serving. Serve with Tomato and Onion Salad and Baked Kalamata Olives.

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This is my entry in the Grow Your Own monthly food blogging event.

This is also my entry for the Vegetarian Awareness Month event hosted by Margot of Coffee & Vanilla. Margot's summary of all VAM entries is here.