Heat 1/4 Cup Olive Oil in a large saucepan and sauté the onions and leek until translucent, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the spinach and sauté until the leaves have wilted and the liquid has cooked off, about 8 to 10 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat and allow to cool somewhat. When cool enough to handle, finely chop the spinach and place in a large bowl.
Preheat the over to 375 degrees. Lightly oil (always use olive oil) a 12-inch diameter or 9×13-inch metal baking pan.
Add dill and feta to spinach mixture. Add salt and pepper to taste (careful with the salt as the feta will add quite a bit of its own.) Pour the eggs over and give a stir to combine well.
Open up the phyllo pastry and place on work surface. Moisten a paper towel and cover dough to prevent it from drying out as you work. Layer the phyllo in the pan, brushing each phyllo layer generously with olive oil. Use half of the phyllo sheets to make the bottom pastry layer.
Put the spinach mixture in and press the top down gently to smooth filling. Add top layer of phyllo pastry, oiling between sheets as for bottom layer.
Using a sharp knife, score the upper layers of pastry into the size pieces you will want to serve once the pie is baked. Be careful not to cut through the bottom layer of pastry.
Bake the pie in the middle of the oven for 40 to 45 minutes until it is golden brown. Cool until just warm. Cut into serving sized pieces and serve either just warm or at room temperature.
“This is the dressing from my Greek Salad Recipe, but it is a nice basic recipe that could be used on any type of salad or to dress other vegetables.” – April Ferre
“This is another recipe I added to my repertoire when I needed to use up the cherry tomatoes gone wild in my garden. I also had a serious craving for Kalamata olives, and I love a good Greek salad.” – April Ferre
“A familiar story, I bought some bulk barley from Pedrick’s Produce and needed to find a way to use it all. I love a good Greek salad, and this could be made without the barley and be fantastic as well. But I like the extra bulk the barley gives it to make it feel like more of a lunch salad as opposed to a side dish. Serve it with a side of Hummus or Tzatziki and some naan, pita or homemade flatbread. Of course, to make a more authentic Greek salad, use the kalamata olives. I tend to use regular black olives because I haven’t yet developed a taste for the stronger kalamata olives.” – April Ferre
Add barley to boiling water, reduce heat to low, and simmer until the barley is tender, about 45 minutes, adding more water as necessary. Drain in a colander and let cool.
Combine tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, olives, feta, pine nuts, shallot, and mint in a large bowl. Add cooled barley and stir to combine.
Whisk together red wine vinegar and olive oil in a separate small bowl. Season with salt and pepper as desired. Drizzle over the salad and toss to coat. Cover and place in refrigerator until ready to serve.
Notes
It is best to make the barley salad at least 3 hours ahead of time so that the flavors have time to mingle.
“I found this while looking for hummus recipes. They are surprisingly addictive and reheat in the microwave well.” – April Ferre
“Known as Börek, these crisp, cheese-filled pastries are a common feature of street food throughout much of the Mediterranean, where they are often taken with aperitifs. They are easy to make at home, but require a little time and patience.” – The Complete Book of Greek Cooking
40(Approximately 1 Pound) Filo Pastry Sheets (9×14 Inches)
Olive Oil
Instructions
Preheat Oven to 375 degrees.
Mix the feta, nutmeg, and herbs in a bowl. Add pepper to taste and mix.
Cut filo sheets in half lengthwise to make 14 x 4 1/2-inch sheets. Brush one sheet of filo lightly with olive oil. Place another sheet on top of it and brush that too. Place 1 rounded teaspoonful of the cheese filling at the base of the filo, fold the corners in diagonally to enclose it, then roll the pastry up into a cigar shape. Brush the end with a little extra olive oil to seal, then place join-side down on a non-stick baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining pastry and filling.
Brush the pastries with more olive oil and bake for 20 minutes or until crisp and golden. Cool on a wire rack.
Tip: When using filo pastry, it is important to keep the unused sheets covered so that they don’t dry out. The quantities for filo pastry in this recipe are approximate, as the size of filo sheets varies. Any unused pastry will keep in the refrigerator for a week or so, if it is well wrapped.
2013 Adapted Recipe – April Ferre – The Complete Book of Greek Cooking by Rena Salaman & Jan Cutler, 2005.
