As you may have already read, I am honoring Sara Moulton this month and cooking up a storm with her recipes! I had a refrigerator full of greens from my Talley Farms CSA box and wanted to make sure I used them while they were still radiant and fresh. Since the produce I get from Talley is picked right from the farm the day before I receive it, I can usually keep it around in my refrigerator for a very long time. Sometimes I am sure I have left something too long and will have to toss it, only to see that it looks just as fresh as if I bought it from the store that day!
I had a combination of Swiss Chard, Kale and Spinach and wondered what I could do that would be a little different with a combination of all three. I have used them in salads, soups, hash and even lasagne. This time, I wanted to do something a bit different and I found a very intriguing recipe from Sara for Rustic Potato and Greens Pie. The mixture she used was one that I often combine for spinach lasagne or quiche. It’s a marriage made in heaven mixing the greens with some sautéed onion, ricotta, gruyere and Parmesan cheeses. Throw in a little nutmeg, salt, pepper and a couple eggs and you have a winning blend of flavors. Sara opted to add in a bit of mashed potatoes suggesting to use some Yukon Gold or Red Bliss. I had also been saving some tri-colored potatoes from Talley that I thought would go perfectly in this recipe as they included the gold, red and purple varieties.
This was all constructed together in a butter pastry. The recipe says to use 1/2 of the amount of the dough. I somehow missed that note and used the whole batch. I have to say that it came out perfectly! I think that the enormous amount of filling that is used in this pie requires a bit more dough for a base to hold it together. I felt that the ratio of dough to filling was exactly what this recipe needed and was definitely not too much. So there you have my opinion on it! Make your own choice as I will write the recipe as I made it. If you prefer, you can cut the dough into two sections and use only one for this recipe. You can freeze the other half for use in another recipe.
I served this pie for the first time at a dinner party the other night. I was a bit worried at how it would be accepted since I wasn’t able to taste it before serving. It doesn’t make the most elegant presentation, however my guests were astonished at how mouthwateringly delectable it was! It was a huge hit with everyone at the table and they are all waiting for me to post the recipe. I encourage you to try this yourself. You will be amazed at how fabulous it is and the leftovers were just as good. It does make quite a large portion so if you care to cut it in half, you could make it in a smaller tart pan or casserole.
Rustic Potato and Greens Pie
Serves 8
- Basic Butter Pastry (see recipe below)
- 3/4 pound small boiling potatoes, such as Yukon gold or Red Bliss, cleaned and cut into 1 1/2″ pieces (no need to peel)
- 1 medium onion
- 2 lbs. cooking greens, such as chard, spinach, kale or a mixture (approx 24 cups)
- 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1/2 cup Gruyére cheese, shredded
- 1/3 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated
- 1 cup ricotta
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 large eggs
- 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into 12 pieces
- 2 large eggs yolks
- Combine the flour and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with chopping blade. Add the butter pieces to the flour mixture. Pulse 10 to 12 times, until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Beat the yolks with 2 tablespoons ice water and add to the mixture; pulse 4 to 5 times, until a crumbly mixture forms. Press the mixture together to form a ball, adding more water, if necessary, to make it manageable. It may take 1-2 more tablespoons water to get it to stick together.
- You can immediately roll out the dough between lightly floured sheets of plastic wrap or, if you have the time, chill the dough for 1 hour before rolling it out. That allows the gluten in the flour to relax, ensuring a tender crust.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Place the potatoes in a medium saucepan. Add cold salted water to cover by 1 inch. Bring the water to a boil over high heat; reduce the heat to low and simmer the potatoes for 15 to 20 minutes, or until they are tender when pierced with a knife.
- 3. Meanwhile, finely chop the onion. Thoroughly rinse and spin dry the greens, remove the tough stems, and coarsely chop the leaves. (If using chard, the stems will be tender; reserve them to stir-fry for another meal.)
- 4. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat until hot. Reduce the heat to medium-low; add the onion and cook for 5 minutes or until it has softened. Press in the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add half the greens and cook 4 to 5 minutes, or until they have wilted. Remove the greens with tongs to a medium bowl. Repeat with the remaining half of the greens.
- Return the first batch of greens to the skillet and cook for 2 minutes more, or until any liquid that collected in the skillet has evaporated.
- 5. When the potatoes are done, drain and mash them with a potato masher. Combine the potatoes and the greens mixture in a large bowl and set aside to cool slightly.
- 6. Meanwhile, roll out the pastry between lightly floured sheets of wax paper to make a 12-inch round; leave the edges of the pastry uneven to make the pie more rustic looking. Fit the pastry into a 9-inch pie plate; press against the sides of the plate, allowing the excess to hang over the edges. Put the pie plate in the fridge while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
- Fold the cheeses into the potato mixture along with the ricotta, nutmeg, and salt and pepper to taste.
- Lightly beat the eggs, reserve 1 tablespoon. Stir the rest of the eggs into the potato mixture and spoon the filling into the pastry-lined pie plate. Gently lift the overhanging pastry over the filling, pleating as necessary to make it fit. (It will make a 1- to 1 ½ inch border covering the edges of the filling, which will be uncovered in the center.) Brush the pastry with the reserved 1 tablespoon egg.
- 9. Bake the pie for about 45-50 minutes or until the filling is heated through and the pastry is golden. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting.
(click here) for printable recipe
3 opinions on “The Best Recipe “Ever” for your Greens!”
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Love Sara Moulton and her cookbooks. Thanks for sharing.
Darlene, Thanks for your comment! If you love Sara, then you will really love this Rustic Potato and Greens Pie recipe. It was incredible!
I wonder if we can make this substituting almond flour for less carb load. I know I need to find out the ratio of almond flour to regular flour….do you know of anyone that does that? Just a thought….I might have to investigate it more and try that out…