Spring Vegetable Pie
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This seasonal, local riff on a traditional Greek spanakopita is extremely adaptable to whatever greens you have on hand. Feel free to experiment with additional add-ins and use more or less cheese as your personal taste and diet dictate. Just pay attention to the water content of any additional vegetables you consider adding. Zucchini, for example, would not work well in this recipe because of the high water content – it would cause the crust to become soggy and unappetizing.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 4 cups mixed greens (I used spinach, Swiss chard, and escarole here)
- Salt and pepper
- 12 ounces fresh mozzarella, cubed (approx. 1/2 inch pieces)
- 1/4 cup sliced green onions
- 1/2 cup shelled peas
- 1/4 cup seasoned panko bread crumbs
- 1/4. cup finely grated parmesan
- 3 large eggs, beaten
Crust
- 1 prepared double pie crust
- 1 egg white or 2 tablespoons heavy cream/half and half/milk to brush over top crust
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees
- In a small saute pan, melt butter and cook onion on medium heat until translucent. Season to taste with salt and pepper
- While onion is cooking, rinse mixed greens and dry thoroughly. A salad spinner comes in very handy here, but if you don't have one you can wrap greens in a clean dish cloth and squeeze gently or pat dry with a paper towels
- Add greens to a large mixing bowl and toss together with mozzarella, peas, and yellow and green onions
- In a small, separate bowl, mix bread crumbs with Parmesan cheese and then toss with vegetable mixture
- Beat three large eggs and add to the rest of the ingredients. Toss to combine thoroughly. Although messy, I found that it was most effective to use my hands for this. Just make sure you wash your hands thoroughly with soap and hot water after!
- Lay the bottom crust in your pie pan and spoon the vegetable mixture into it. Cover with the top crust, crimp the edges, and cut vents in the top crust so that steam can escape. Brush the top crust with egg white or cream to encourage browning
- Bake 45 minutes or until crust is uniformly brown and crisp. If the edges start to get too dark partway through baking, use a pie crust shield or make a collar from aluminum foil to protect it from burning
- Allow to cool slightly before serving. This pie tastes even better the next day, so don't hesitate to make it ahead and store in the refrigerator. Allow to come to room temperature before serving
