Greens and Goat Cheese Pie

This fantastic recipe from Belinda Jeffery ensures you "eat your greens" in the most delicious way.  Packed full of nutritious dark leafy greens, you feel virtuous just eating it.  Don't be put off by making the olive oil pastry, it is remarkably elastic and very forgiving.  After all it is meant to look rustic.

 

Ingredients

Pastry

1 1/4 cups plain flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup chilled water

Filling

1 kg of well washed leafy greens (spinach, cavolo nero, chard, kale, mustard greens whatever you can lay your hands on) and chopped. Keep the chopped stalks separate from the chopped leaves.

1/3 cup olive oil

2 large leeks or onions, finely chopped

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

100g parmesan, grated

300g ricotta

freshly grated nutmeg, about 1/2 teaspoon

200g marinated goat's cheese

1/3 cup dill, finely chopped (if available)

1/3 cup mint, finely chopped

2 tablespoons, chopped parsley

2 teaspoons salt

freshly ground black pepper

extra olive oil for brushing onto pie

2-3 teaspoons of nigella seeds (if available) to sprinkle on the top

Method

To make the pastry, combine flour and salt in a medium bowl and whisk to distribute.  Make a well in the centre and pour in the olive oil.  Mix it in with a fork. 

Drizzle the cold water, mixing until the the flour becomes a dough and starts to clump together.  Briefly knead the dough in the bowl until it forms a ball, turn out onto a floured board and knead for 3 to 4 minutes until it feels smooth and elastic.  Shape into a disc and wrap in plastic wrap, place in the fridge for 1-2 hours.

Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Line a large round pizza pan with baking paper allowing a 3cm overlap all around.

Heat olive oil in a pan, add the chopped stalks, leeks/onions stir until softened (approx 10 minutes).  Then add the chopped green leaves and stir until wilted.

Put greens into a bowl and allow to cool a little.

Add eggs, parmesan, ricotta and nutmeg. Mix everything together (hands are the perfect tool).

Finally add in half the goat's cheese, along with all the herbs you are using and salt and pepper.

Take the dough from the fridge and on a lightly floured bench top, roll out using a rolling pin and your hands to stretch the dough until it forms a very thin circle that will overhang the pan by 8cm all around.

Easiest to pat it out to begin with and then use the rolling pin, it is very elastic and stretches.

Using the rolling pin to lift the pastry off the bench and drape over prepped pan.

Place the green filling on the centre of the pastry and using a large pallet knife spread to the edges of the pan. Dot the remaining goat's cheese over the top.

Now the impressive part!

Gently pull an edge of the overhanging pastry up with your fingers so it stretches and stretches and becomes quite thin, then fold it towards the centre of the torta, mine reached the centre but you can leave a little peek through by going about an inch from the centre. Repeat this all the way around the edge until the filling is partially enclosed in the pastry.

Using your finger tis to gently "stipple" the surface of the pastry and using a pastry brush, gently paint with olive oil, if using Nigella seeds sprinkle these on top.

Place the pie in the oven and bake for about 35 - 40 minutes, or until it's puffed up and golden (I could have left mine a little longer).

It's best to slide the pie onto a board or serving plate within a few minutes, otherwise it is hard to transfer.

So good for you and so tasty.

Note: Slices freeze well.

Mamma Marmalade