Mediterranean Pie: Flashback to the 80′s!

From one of the Best of Bridge Cookbooks with a lot of liberties taken and a whole lot of local produce packed into it!

With my eldest daughter’s wedding on a Saturday, and the gift opening brunch the following day at our house, I have to prepare food that could be primarily made ahead. Yes, I could have had the event catered, but, I believe that the food brought to the table at the most important times in one’s life should always be made with love. I was compelled to prepare the food as part of my preparation for this transition in our lives. This was an essential part of the ritual for me as work in my kitchen is my catharsis. My joy was, I hope, translated through my food and the partaking of it the day following the wedding.

I hosted many a party when Ragan was growing up and she and her sister were expert party assistants. At the time, most of the food I made for my gala affairs was too elaborate or too foreign for the girl’s palates as I consistently worked to stretch my culinary knowledge and abilities.

But, now, the kinds of food I made in those days is high on the request list when we celebrate together. What would you like for your brunch? Mediterranean Pie was one of the dishes she asked for. I hadn’t made it in twenty years!

Today, I wondered why. It is absolutely delicious and makes an incredible presentation. It was essential for me to use as many fresh local ingredients as possible and I was able to use spinach from Sundog’s Organic at  City Market, Irving’s Farm Fresh dry dured (not smoked) bacon, Sylvan Star medium gouda and Gull Valley long sweet red peppers from Old Strathcona Farmer’s Market with Sunworks Farm’s Organic Eggs (also from OSFM). Yes, the puffed pastry was the purchased variety, President’s Choice brand. Brittany Watt, a local Edmonton Chef was organizing the food and getting it out at the brunch and plated this piece beautifully for me to photograph!

The spinach was steamed, chopped and squeezed until all the water was completely expelled and the flavourful pulp was what was left to work with. All other ingredients were prepped: garlic (also from Sundog Organic), onion, red pepper, cheese, and the bacon. You may note that the photo has black forest ham as I made two of these, and ran out of Irving’s bacon, neglecting to photo the first batch!

The photo essay is followed by the recipe. Easy-peasy, nutritious, delicious and very satisfying: the perfect bunchy-lunchy make ahead.

There is the layer of ham on the bottom.

Mediterranean Pie Recipe

serves 10

The Best of the Best – Vol. 1 (Page: 25)
Aces (Page: 6)

Ingredients:

• 2 small oions, chopped finely; I used a local red onion for colour
• 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 Tbsp. butter (30g )
• 3-10 oz. pkgs. frozen spinach, thawed & squeezed dry (884g); I used fresh, steamed spinach, and squeezed it dry, weighing it (I had more, so I used more)
• 2-14 oz. pkgs. frozen puff pastry, rolled to 1/8″ (1191g)
• 3/4 lb. Black Forest ham, sliced (375g); the one made with Irving’s dry cured bacon was definitely superior
• 1 lb. Mozzarella cheese, grated 500g; I used Sylvan Star’s award winning medium gouda which definitely changed the flavour profile to one with greater depth
• 2 red peppers, seeded and diced; I used 4 of the long ones
• 8 free range organic eggs, beaten
• 1 free range organic egg, beaten, to glaze pastry

Instructions:

1. Sauté onions in butter for 2-3 minutes, until barely translucent; add garlic and sauté for 30 seconds, then stir in the spinach (I had to pull it apart in a shredded fashion to add it into the sauté as the ball was so dense)
2. Set aside to cool; meanwhile, line a 10″ (25 cm) spingform pan with the rolled out puff pastry, making sure it overlaps the sides
3. Layer 1/2 the ham, 1/2 the cheese, 1/2 the red pepper, 1/2 the spinach mixture into the pie shell
4. Pour in 1/2 the beaten eggs (I found it easier, by far, to beat only 4 eggs at a time and then pour them over the mixture, distributing as evenly as possible)
5. Place one round of puff pastry over the first layer and repeat the layers; the pan will be full
6. Cover with pastry being very careful to seal the edges by folding them over back onto the pie as the spring form pan will release the sides, and the crust must not be resting on it, or it will not release properly
7. Slash the top to allow steam to escape; brush the crust with beaten egg
8. Bake at 400 deg.F (200 deg.C) for 15 minutes, reduce heat to 350 deg.F (180 deg.C)and bake for 45 minutes; if the crust becomes too brown, cover lightly (don’t seal) with foil
9. Cool the pie for 15 minutes and remove springform; slice into 10 servings

Note: I froze the pie after number 7 above, thawed completely the night before, and baked the following day; it was delicious.

Tags: savory tart