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Chard & Kale Pastries

May 2014; I came up with this dish as part of our 31st anniversary celebrations. I wanted to do some dishes we hadn't had for a while, but also come up with something new as well. I wanted to use as many things from the property as I could, so I settled on Dolmas because the grape leaves are incredible at this time of year. I also made the Middle Eastern Lamb, although I didn't have enough green beans so had to add some from the market. Lastly, I did this dish as the new addition. Chard, kale and basil are productive and delicious now, and I had a package of filo in the freezer. It just came together. Follow package directions for handling the filo dough.

What you need

  1. 1 package filo (phyllo) dough
  2. 1 1/2 - 2 medium onions, peeled and thinly sliced
  3. 2 - 3 cloves garlic minced
  4. 1 clove garlic, whole peeled and smashed lightly
  5. Chard leaves, steamed or sautéed, drained and liquid pressed out
  6. Kale leaves (Tuscan if possible), steamed or sautéed, drained and liquid pressed out
  7. 2 tablespoons minced fresh basil leaves (or any herb)
  8. 1/3 - 1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled (buy the block in water and crumble it yourself)
  9. Kosher salt
  10. Black pepper to taste
  11. Olive oil

How to make it

  1. Caramelize the onions (or you can shortcut and sauté them)
  2. Just before the onions are finished, add the minced garlic
  3. Over very low heat, steep 1/4 - 1/3 cup olive oil with the whole garlic clove and a bit of the basil or other herb
  4. Preheat oven to 375º
  5. Finely chop the chard and kale and add the onions/garlic, basil and crumbled feta
  6. Mix and taste for seasoning with salt & pepper
  7. Lay out one sheet of filo and brush lightly with the steeped oil
  8. Cover with a second sheet of filo and brush again with oil
  9. Repeat for a total of four sheets
  10. Cut (I use a pizza cutter) in half horizontally, then cut each half again vertically to derive four rectangular pieces
  11. Place about 2 tablespoons of the chard filling on the narrow end closest to you (see image below), leaving 1/2 inch or so at bottom and sides:
  12. Fold bottom edge over filling and fold side edges over filling
  13. Fold over (roll up) until you have a neat rectangular bundle
  14. Brush top with olive oil and place seam side down onto a baking sheet brushed with a bit of oil
  15. Repeat until all the filling is used
  16. Cut a diagonal slit in the center of the top - this allows you to cut the pies in half to serve if desired
  17. Bake 20-25 minutes until golden brown

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