Yup. It’s that time of year again. It’s … ZUCCHINI TIME!! YAY!
Every year I panic and plant At LEAST 3 courgette plants (zucchini.. whatevs – seriously. Guys.. they are the SAME THING..keep up)
Each plant then ends up with at least one courgette that is ready to pick every day throughout July & August , which means I end up with a gazillion of them. (Ok- not a gazillion, but at least 3 a day, which is loads, and seems like a gazillion when they start to pile up in the fridge)
Even if you don’t have your own plants with a never ending supply of squash, you probably have friends or neighbours who do. Or you’ve gone to the market and found that they’re practically being given away. (A kilo for £1.00? Why not?! )
I secretly love this time of year. (Shhhhh… Don’t tell The Gardener)
This means that we get to eat endless pasta with courgette & tomato sauce and I get to bring out my fave courgette fritter recipe again and again and again. It also means I like to get a bit creative and try something new. In fact I’ll probably try several somethings, but this time, the something is PIE.
Lovely, Greek Inspired Courgette Pie- which in Greece is called Kolokithopita. (Pita = Pie in Greek!) Its quite simple to make and not only contains courgettes but lots of herbs, leeks to add a little sweetness and filo pastry for crunch.
In this pie I also added a bit of vegan ‘Greek style’ cheese. I bought a block at the supermarket and I can’t say I was massively impressed by it, however it did work well cooked up in the pie, adding a level of saltiness that’s quite pleasing. By all means leave it out or sub in some chopped up green olives if you want some saltiness. The great thing about a pie like this is you can mix up the filling quite easily!
This pie is brilliant hot, or served at room temperature for a picnic. Its just as tasty the next day- or even the day after and re-heats to crisp up the pastry easily. Serve as part of a mezze feast, with a salad for a light lunch, or even sneak a slice for breakfast (I did!)
A delicious vegan Greek inspired pie, full of courgettes (zucchini) herbs and leeks
- 2 Medium Courgettes
- 1 Medium Leek Finely chopped
- 1 Handful Dill & Parsley Finely chopped
- 50 grams Vegan Cheese 'Greek Feta style' (optional) grated
- 1 pack Filo Pastry
- 4-5 Tbs Olive Oil
- Salt to taste
- 1 Tsp Nigella (Kalongi) Seeds OR Sesame Seeds
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Grate the courgette and sprinkle a little salt over. Leave in a bowl for around 1/2 an hour to let the salt draw moisture out
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Now get a clean teatowel & put the grated courgette in it. Squeeze the courgette to wring out as much moisture as you can
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Pre-heat the oven to 180C/ Gas Mark 4
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Mix the courgette, leeks, herbs and vegan cheese together
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Grease a baking dish with olive oil and layer in 4 pieces of filo pastry, slicking a little olive oil between each layer
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Add the courgette filling & spread it out to cover the pastry evenly
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Add another 3-4 layers of pastry, again slicking a little oil between each piece
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Finish off the pie with a little more oil and the seeds
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Bake in the oven for around 40-45 mins until the pastry is golden brown
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[…] on the rampage in my garden and we can’t eat them fast enough. I’ve had them in pies (see my previous post!) I’ve made fritters, I’ve made them into chips and stirred them into pasta sauce […]