Hortopita Recipes

HORTOPITA

Steps:

• Put the pumpkin in a colander, salt lightly and toss. Weight the pumpkin with a plate and weights (some canned food will do), and drain for about an hour. Trim, wash, drain and coarsely chop the greens and herbs.
• Preheat the oven to 350. Squeeze the pumpkin to get rid of as much liquid as possible. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet (or wide pot), and cook the pumpkin until it wilts and most or all of its liquid has evaporated. Transfer to a large bowl.
• Wipe the skillet clean, and heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in it; cook down the leek and onions, stirring, until wilted. Transfer to the bowl with the pumpkin.
• Heat another 2 tablespoons of oil in the skillet, and wilt the chard and spinach; add to the bowl. Add the remaining greens and herbs to the bowl, and season to taste with a generous amount of salt and a little pepper. Reserve 8 tablespoons of olive oil; stir what remains into the greens mixture.
• Lightly oil a 15-inch round pan or a shallow, rectangular roasting or sheet pan (16 inches by 12 inches). Roll out the first dough ball on a lightly floured surface, using the shape of your pan as the guide. For round pans, roll out to a circle about 18 inches in diameter; for rectangular pans, roll out to a rectangle about 3 inches larger than the perimeter of the pan. Place the dough inside, leaving about 2 inches hanging over the edge. Brush with two tablespoons of olive oil. Repeat with the second piece of dough. Brush that too with olive oil. Spread the filling evenly over the phyllo.
• Repeat the rolling process for the third sheet, placing it over the filling and pressing down gently. Brush with olive oil. Finally, roll out the last piece of dough to a slightly smaller piece, and place it over the surface of the pie. Join and fold in the bottom and top overhanging dough, rolling it around the perimeter of the pan to form a pretty rim. Brush the top of the pie generously with olive oil. Score into serving pieces (do not cut through to the bottom).
• Place in the center rack of the oven, and bake for about 40 to 50 minutes, or until the pastry is golden and crisp and the pie pulls away from the perimeter of the pan. Remove, cool in the pan and serve warm or at room temperature.

HORTOPITA

Steps:

• For the crust: In a large bowl or food processor, mix the flour and salt. Add the oil and liquid and mix briefly, until a dough forms. Pour the dough out onto a floured board and knead until the dough is smooth, about 5 minutes. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.
• Preheat a pot of canola oil to 375 degrees F.
• For the filling: In a large pot, briefly boil the greens until wilted. Remove and strain the excess water.
• Heat a saute pan on medium heat. Add 4 ounces of the olive oil. When the oil is hot add in the spring onions and cook until translucent. Add the scallions, and continue to saute until they are tender. Add the wilted greens and parsley and saute for 3 minutes more. Remove from heat and add the dill and salt, to season. Set aside to cool.
• Divide the dough into 4 pieces. On a floured surface, roll 1 piece out into a large rectangle. Trim the edges if needed. Brush both sides of the dough with olive oil and place a generous portion of the filling on 1 end of the dough, leaving a 1-inch border. Roll the dough in a cylinder and then shape into a coil. Continue with the other dough pieces and repeat the process. Fry them one at a time. Cut in half and serve warm or room temperature.

BRAISED WILD GREENS AND SWEET ONION PITA (HORTOPITA)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Place a saute pan over medium heat. Add olive oil. Add onions and saute until lightly translucent (about 8 to 10 minutes). Add leeks and pinch of salt. Cook 8 to 10 minutes or until onion mixture is soft and translucent. Turn heat to medium-high and add the chopped dandelion greens and kale. Reseason with salt and pepper. Add Herb Tea. Lower heat to medium. Cook 5 minutes until all liquid is evaporated. Remove mix from stove. Add herbs and cool. Season with salt and pepper.
• To Assemble: Defrost phyllo in refrigerator overnight. Lay one sheet of pyhllo out on a clean surface and brush lightly with olive oil. Cover the first sheet with a second sheet of phyllo and brush again with olive oil. Repeat one more time so you have a total of 3 sheets of phyllo (this will line 2 molds). Using a sharp paring knife, cut the phyllo down the center so you have 2 equal sheets. Cut each sheet in 2 equal parts again so you have 4 equal sheets. Repeat one more time so you have 8 equal strips, each approximately 1-inch wide. Using a 3-ounce souffle dish as a mold, lay one strip of phyllo over the mold and press it down to line the mold. Leave excess phyllo hanging over on each side of the mold. Lay a second strip of phyllo across the mold, slightly overlapping the first, and press it down as before. Repeat this procedure until you have a total of 4 strips completely lining the mold with phyllo. Spoon the horta and onion filling into the mold, gently packing down to fill the mold 3/4 full. Enclose the filling in the phyllo by folding the overhanging strips into the center of the mold (cover one at a time). Trim any excess phyllo. Make small slits in the phyllo and brush with olive oil. Fill all 6 molds and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool 2 to 3 minutes. Invert mold to remove pita. Serve as meze or with baby greens
• In a heavy gauge sauce pot combine all ingredients. Bring to a boil. Turn heat down and simmer for 20 minutes. Strain and reserve liquid. Herb tea can be stored in a covered jar and refrigerated for 4 to 5 days.

HORTOPITA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Butter the bottom and sides of two 12-by-18-inch baking sheets.
• In a food processor, combine the flour, salt, and baking powder. Add 1 cup cold water and 2/3 cup olive oil, and process until smooth. Remove the dough from the food processor, knead it into a ball with your hands, and wrap loosely in plastic film. Let it sit for 10 minutes or until ready to use.
• In a large sauté pan, heat 1/2 cup of the oil over medium heat. Add the leeks, onion, and scallions, and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the spinach, and sauté, stirring until slightly soft, about 3 minutes.
• Using a slotted spoon, transfer the vegetables to a medium bowl, and add the parsley, mint (if using), dill, feta cheese, and salt and pepper. Taste, and adjust the seasonings if necessary.
• Divide the dough into 4 pieces. On a floured surface, roll out each piece of dough into a very thin rectangle. Brush each piece with the remaining oil, and spread 3/4 to 1 cup of filling along the length and center of each rectangle. Starting at one long side of each rectangle, roll the dough around itself to enclose the filling.
• Place the rolled dough seam-side down on the baking sheet, bending each piece to form a spiral. Brush with olive oil, and prick the surface here and there with a fork to allow steam to vent. Reduce the oven temperature to 375°F and bake until golden, 35-40 minutes. Remove from the oven, and cool slightly, cut, and serve.