It was such a pleasure to chat with Suz at the Raglan Growers Market the other week. At the Community Garden stall the sorrel and magenta spinach was beautifully presented for purchase. The kaupapa spilling out of the doors of the Whāingaroa Environment Centre is… Grow more than you can eat; share and sell the surplus.
Over in my neighbourhood in Raglan West we have been passing our produce over the fences, and across the street; it’s a wonderful crop swap! However, every year I try to grow a little bit more. This year my tomatoes have been PUMPING (thanks Tonia!) and we grew our first kamokamo which I fried rosti style and served with eggs and tomatoes.
For those of you finding your produce creeping toward the beginngs of ‘surplus’, there is the option of a shared stall at the Raglan Growers Market, and there is also the community garden stall.
Another highlight at the market was Nataliia’s Ukrainian pickles (insert drooling mouth emoji) and her ‘mama ganoush’. Nataliia also had living microgreen trays for sale which are producing a second crop for me; that was a VERY affordable addition to my meals, so tasty, so nutritious.
Anyway, please enjoy this recipe – it will absorb all sorts of garden gluts. The filo you can shop buy, but I highly recommend making it from scratch. I will put the homemade filo on my insta as not enough room for it here.
Raglan Growers Market & Community Gardens Spanakopita
For the Filo either buy a shop bought box of filo dough from the fridge at a local store or see recipe @k_lowes_writes
Filo is a low vat, vegan, extremely versatile dough and is a great companion for any kitchen gardener.
For the Spanakopita mix:
1 white onion diced finely
4 garlic cloves crushed
1 celery stalk chopped fine
2 small zucchini grated
2/3 cup sliced almonds
1tbls ground almonds
Paprika, mixed garden herbs sage/thyme/rosemary, and some nutmeg goes perfectly here.
Cold potato (3 or four small pre-boiled potatoes, sliced or diced. Great alternative to cheese then the meal is entirely vegan) and / or 1 block Feta cheese (if you want to go Full-Goddess-Style)
1 large bunch Magenta spinach, remove stalks, chop
1 large bunch Sorrel, chop.
Sesame seeds
Method:
In a large pan fry onion, garlic, zucchini, almonds, herbs and spices, cold potato, cheese and magenta spinach. Fry for five minutes combining it all and turn off heat. Add sorrell at the end and it will wilt without going black.
Layer a dish, any large flat oven-proof dish is ideal, with the filo pastry leaving some to ‘hang over the edges’. Load the mix into the dish and tuck-up the pie with the overhanging pastry. Save a sheet or two of pastry for the top ‘blanket’.
Bake for 20 mins.
Leave to cool down a bit and then flip the pie upside down onto a chopping board and cover the top with sesame seeds. If you have a nice big sharp knife then pre-chop into pieces. Or, just watch it vanish scoop by scoop.
