Lagniappe: Quick Add to the Easter Table

Spinach and feta tart

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Warning: The recipe has not been tested but I’m hoping it will turn into a splendid addition to the Easter lunch I’m sharing with friends up on Moody Mountain. If you try it, do please let me know if you have any problems, additions, subtractions, or suggestions for alternatives. We’re all in this together.

It’s based on a recipe in an old favorite cookbook that I turn to whenever I’m puzzled about what to do with vegetables. That’s Deborah Madison’s The Greens Cookbook, first published back in 1987 and still occupying a place of honor on my cookbook shelf. Deborah called it simply “Spinach and Goat Cheese Pie.” Think of it as a quiche by another name. Like a quiche, you can prepare the pastry shell and bake it blind ahead of time; the filling can also be prepared ahead. Then all you have to do, an hour or so before serving, is combine the two and slide the tart into the preheated oven to bake.

Spinach and Feta Tart

Let’s begin with a sheet of frozen pastry. After many trials, I’m convinced the very best frozen pastry comes from Dufour, an outfit I’ve been frequenting since discovering them in New York about 30 years ago. Since then, they’ve gone national and are available in the frozen food sections of national chains as well as frequently in food co-ops and whole-food stores. For someone who’s never had success with puff pastry, Dufour’s is a gift from heaven. They also make what’s marketed as plant-based pastry dough, meaning it has no animal products, no lard or butter; it’s good for vegans but it’s also a superior pie dough for the rest of us. Find out all about it here.

Roll out a sheet of the thawed but still chilled pastry dough to fit a 9-inch fluted tart pan, preferably one with a removable bottom. Set the dough in the pan, pressing it firmly along the sides. Use excess dough to cover any possible cracks or gaps in the dough. Set the tart pan in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. If you wish to keep it longer, cover it with plastic wrap so it doesn’t dry out.

When you’re ready to blind bake the pastry shell, turn the oven on to 425ºF/220ºC. Prick the bottom of the pastry shell with a fork in several places so it doesn’t puff up in the oven. Line the dough with parchment paper or aluminum foil, then fill the foil with pie weights. There are special weights that you can buy online, but, thrifty Yankee that I am, I use dried beans that I keep in a jar marked “Pie Beans.” (They have been baked many times and would be a disaster if anyone mistook them for beans to be cooked.)

When the oven is hot, transfer the tart pan and bake the pastry until it is thoroughly dry and just beginning to turn color, about 15 minutes at this temperature. It will not be fully done as it will bake again once the filling is added.

The baking can be done well ahead of time, even a day ahead if it makes your life easier. You can also make the filling ahead but don’t add it until you’re ready for the final baking. If necessary, refrigerate the filling once you’ve combined all the ingredients.

And here, at last, they are:

• 1 pound fresh spinach, thoroughly washed and shaken dry

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

• 2 leeks, green tops trimmed, sliced thin

• Freshly ground black pepper

• 2 whole eggs

• 2 egg yolks

• 5 to 6 ounces feta, crumbled by hand

• 2 cups dairy: combine whole milk, heavy cream, sour cream, and Greek strained yogurt to make 2 cups

• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill

Set the oven on 375ºF./ 190ºC.

Take bunches of spinach and either tear or cut them roughly into smaller pieces—not chopped fine, just chopped.

Set a wide deep skillet over medium-low heat and add the oil and butter. When the butter has melted and the sizzle has died down, add the sliced leeks. Cook, stirring, just a few minutes until the leeks start to soften, but don’t let them brown. When the leeks are soft, start adding the torn spinach in handfuls, as much as the skillet will hold. There should be enough moisture in and on the spinach to keep it from catching on the bottom of the saucepan. (If necessary, you can add a very small amount of water, but watery spinach will need draining before adding to the pastry shell.) When the first handful starts to wilt and soften, add another handful and continue like that until all the spinach has been added. Cook for another few minutes, just until the spinach is done, then stir in plenty of black pepper and set the skillet aside.

In a bowl, combine the eggs, egg yolks, and about half the crumbled feta. Whisk together to break up the cheese then start adding the dairy in any quantities you wish, but do make sure you have at least two different kinds—milk and cream, milk and sour cream, cream and yogurt, or a bit of everything. Whisk to make a thick cream. Finally whisk in the dill.

Now spread the spinach mixture over the bottom of the tart shell. Sprinkle the remaining feta on top, then spread the egg mix over that. Transfer to the oven and bake 4o to 45 minutes, or until the top is set and lightly browned.

Remove from the oven and serve after it has set for at least 15 minutes. Like a quiche, which this resembles, you can also serve it at room temperature.

Happy Easter!