Try this recipe for a wilted greens tart from 'The Side Gardener' cookbook

An easy quiche recipe that's perfect for weekend brunch

Image for Try this recipe for a wilted greens tart from 'The Side Gardener' cookbook
Images provided by Penguin Random House.

We've never met a quiche we didn't like. Ok, that might be a lie, but when the recipe is sound, you cannot go wrong with a well-constructed quiche!

This supremely easy (and delicious!) recipe for a wilted greens and feta tart is borrowed from the pages of Rosie Daykin's brand-new cookbook The Side Gardener: Recipes & Notes from My Garden. Publishsed on April 9, 2024, the vegetable-focused cookbook has a plethora of ideas for cooking up vegetables throughout the year.

Image for Try this recipe for a wilted greens tart from 'The Side Gardener' cookbook

"For those of you hesitant to make pastry, phyllo is your friend," explains Rosie Daykin in the introduction to this recipe in her new cookbook. "Not only does it save tons of time, but there is also something rather lovely about the randomness of the folds and edges of the finished tart. If pie crust had a laid-back, easygoing cousin, this would be it."

Wilted greens tart

6 to 8 sheets phyllo pastry

½ cup/113 g butter, melted

2 tablespoons butter

1 shallot, peeled and finely diced

1 big handful kale, washed, spines removed, and roughly torn

1 big handful fresh spinach, washed

1 big handful fresh arugula, washed

Sprinkle plus 1 teaspoon salt

Sprinkle plus ½ teaspoon pepper

½ cup/55 g crumbled feta cheese

4 large eggs

1 cup/250 ml whipping cream

 

Place a piece of phyllo on a clean work surface and use a pastry brush to gently coat it with some of the melted butter. Transfer this piece of phyllo into a 9-inch/23 cm quiche pan, carefully pushing it down to the bottom of the pan. Allow the excess to slightly hang over the edge of the pan.

Repeat with the next sheet of phyllo, giving it a 10-degree turn every time you layer a piece. Don’t worry if it tears; just paste it together with a brush of melted butter and carry on until you have completed the whole shell. Set aside.

Melt the 2 tablespoons of butter in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the chopped shallot and cook until it is translucent and has started to soften.

Add the kale, spinach, and arugula and continue to cook until all the greens are soft and wilted.

Sprinkle with salt and pepper and place in the prepared shell. Next, sprinkle the crumbled feta over the greens.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, 1 teaspoon salt, and

½ teaspoon pepper and pour over the cheese and greens.

Bake on the center rack of the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until the center is puffed and the phyllo is a lovely golden brown.

Remove the tart from the oven and allow it to cool slightly before removing it from the pan and placing it on a serving plate. It can be served warm or at room temperature.

The tart will keep, covered, in the refrigerator for several days.

Yield:
Makes one 9-inch tart and serves 6