Recently,
I told my friend Kate that I was headed to the store, and she asked me to get
her some escarole for a dinner party we were having together the next day. I happily
agreed, got several heads, and put them in the fridge for safe keeping.
Well,
they were safe all right! So safe that they never made it to Kate's table.
She was
incredibly gracious about my forgetfulness, and made her salad with arugula and
mixed greens. (She makes a wonderful salad!)
Not only
was I embarrassed that I forgot it, but I was also left with two large heads of
escarole. Having never used it, I did some quick research and found a variety of recipes: Soup,
salad, sautéed
with beans, stuffed (like cabbage), and even on pizza.
 |
| Our homegrown chiltepins with the special grinder made by the Seri Indians. |
But the
one recipe that caught my eye was one by Giada de Laurentis. While not exactly
our beloved Luccan
Torta di Erbe (which can be as much a dessert as a light meal), it has a lot of the same qualities, and both
Mark and thought I should give it a try.
I made a
few changes based on what I had in the house. Surprisingly, two large heads of
escarole weren't enough, so I augmented with spinach and kale.
I didn't
have any kalamata olives on hand, so I substituted oil-cured Moroccan olives
and those led me to add some preserved lemons.
 |
| Not the preserved lemon - they didn't photograph well. (Their eyes were closed.) |
With the addition
of some cinnamon, my pie shifted suddenly from Italian to North African-inflected.
The pie
turned out beautifully. As I made it just for the two of us, it sustained us
for several days of lunches and light suppers.
After all
those greens, it seemed silly to serve it with a salad, but we did anyway: a
tomato salad, which added beautiful colors to the plate.
This can be
made of any combination of bitter and slightly tough greens - beet greens, kale,
and so on. Try adding some nuts for texture or hard-cooked eggs for a little
visual surprise. And, as many
of my colleagues would say, "What isn't made better by bacon?"
~ David
3
tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 2-ounce
tin anchovies, drained and minced
2 larges
shallots, minced
3 crushed chiletpin peppers, or 1/2
teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 pounds
mixed escarole, kale, and spinach, chopped into 1-inch pieces
1/2
teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup
dry white wine
1/2 cup
pitted Moroccan oil-cured olives, chopped
zest and
juice of 1 small lemon
1/4
teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 ounces
crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup
dried currants
2
tablespoons diced preserved Moroccan lemon
double
pie crust (make two of the recipe found here.)
1 egg,
lightly beaten
Preheat
the oven to 400°F.
Heat 3
tablespoons of the olive oil in large pot over medium-high heat. Add the
anchovies, shallots and red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 1
minute. Add the escarole, spinach, kale, and salt to the pan, cover and cook
until wilted –
about 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the wine and cook for 1 minute.
Drain the greens in a colander until cool enough to handle, then place it in a
large kitchen towel and ring out excess moisture. Transfer the greens to the
bowl of a food processor. Add the olives, the lemon zest, lemon juice,
cinnamon, and the feta and process until finely chopped, about 30 seconds. Add
the currants and preserved lemons; pulse to combine.
Roll out
the bottom crust. Line a 10-inch pie plate, leaving some overhang around the
edges. Brush the crust with the beaten egg, then spoon in the filling and
distribute evenly. Roll out the second pie crust, top the pie, and tuck and
crimp the edges with the tines of a fork. Brush the pie with the remaining 1
teaspoon olive oil, then cut three decorative leaves in the top crust to allow
steam to escape. Bake until golden brown and cooked through, about 45 minutes.
Allow the pie to cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing.
Serves 8.
Labels: bitter greens, bitter greens pie, pie, savory pie, vegetarian
