Spanakopita packed with garden greens

(Spanakopita can be made with a variety of vegetables)

When the garden offers up a bounty of greens, what do you do? Make spanakopita, that layered casserole of Greek origins that satisfies on many levels.

This dish is great warm or at room temperature. It is equally great cold, which makes it a perfect picnic food. Paper-thin layers of phyllo pastry separate a generous filling of greens and cheeses.
Although spanakopita is typically made with spinach, I love to add different greens and vegetables, such as broccoli and zucchini. While there is still some of that fabulous flat-leaf spinach, Emu, growing in the garden, there is also a lot of swiss chard, beet tops and kale.

(Bright Lights Swiss Chard is great to use in spanakopita)

Not one to waste, I used thinnings of all these greens to make this dish, along with some broccoli side shoots and a layer of zucchini “coins.” The spanakopita can be cut into finger-size pieces and enjoyed cold for a fabulous picnic food. With all the free concerts in local parks here in the Hudson Valley, packing a quick supper is easy when you have something as good as homemade spanakopita.

Cottage cheese, feta and eggs are mixed in with the sautéed greens and vegetables for a tangy filling. I sautéed the zucchini slices separately and layered them on top of the greens so they held up in the filling.

(Save the ribs of Bright Lights Swiss Chard, and chop and add to the vegetable saute)

The Bright Lights Swiss Chard is a rainbow of colors. I did not want to waste the stalks, which are like technicolor stalks of celery, so I removed them from the leaves and chopped them up to add to the garlic and onion saute. Don't they look pretty all on their own?
Fresh herbs, also from the garden, provided even more flavor.

Commercial phyllo dough is pretty easy to work with as long as you defrost it slowly and don’t let it dry out when assembling the dish (keep a damp dishcloth over the dough while working). Instead of tons of melted butter, which you need to brush each layer of the dough, I used a combination of melted Earth Balance and olive oil. A sprinkling of anise seeds tops off the casserole, providing crunch and hint of licorice.

(Add a sprinkling of anise seeds on top of the spanakopita before baking)

Use whatever greens and veggies you have on hand to create this spanakopita. Half a box of the frozen pastry is enough to fill a 9-by-13-inch lasagna pan.
Spanakopita also freezes well, so if you are ambitious, use the whole box of phyllo for two pans and double up the filling recipe. Your efforts will be rewarded come winter when you reach in to pull out a perfect taste of summer.

Let the box of phyllo defrost in the refrigerator overnight and then let it sit at room temperature about 30 minutes before you are ready to build the spanakopita.

Veggie Spanakopita

For a half box of phyllo, make the following filling:

• Wash and stem at least 2 pounds of greens, such as spinach, kale, swiss chard and beet tops. Steam the greens in a large pot with a pinch of water in the bottom (keep an eye on the pot so the greens do not burn).
• Steam the broccoli florets until crisp-tender in a separate pan.
• Saute a medium zucchini cut into coins in about 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Let the slices brown a bit on each side. Set aside
• In a large skillet, saute 2 cloves of minced garlic in about 3 tablespoons of olive oil.
• Add 1 large onion, chopped, and saute until the onion starts to sweat.
• Add the chopped stems of swiss chard and saute a few minutes more.
• Mix in the steamed broccoli florets. Season with a splash of Tamari, salt and pepper.
• Remove from the heat.
• Squeeze as much moisture as you can from the greens and rough chop them.
• In a large bowl, combine the sauteed vegetables and the greens.
• Mix in one 16-ounce container of cottage cheese, about 1 cup of crumbled feta cheese, 4 eggs and a handful of freshly chopped herbs: dill, oregano, parsley and basil. Season with salt and pepper.
• Mix well.
• Have ready a small pan in which you have melted about 6 tablespoons of Earth Balance and added about 1/4 cup of olive oil.
• Generously butter the bottom of the baking pan with the melted soy-olive oil mixture.
• Layer a piece of phyllo on top and brush it with the oil mixture. Repeat for about 9 layers.
• Add half the filling on top of the 9 layers and spread smooth.

(Sauteed zucchini slices are placed on top of the first layer of filling)

• Layer the zucchini slices on top.
• Repeat the phyllo layers, brushing each with the oil mix for about 5 more layers.
• Spread the rest of the filling on top.
• Finish with the rest of the phyllo sheets, about 9 more, and brush the top.
• Sprinkle on about 2 tablespoons of anise seeds.
• Bake uncovered in a preheated 350-degree oven for about 35 minutes until browned and bubbly.
• If the top starts to brown too quickly, place a piece of aluminum foil on top during the last 15 minutes or so and then remove toward the end.
• Let cool slightly before cutting.

Enjoy warm or cold.