Winter Greens Pastry Shell

Yes, putting greens into a quiche is a great way to use them. But putting them into the pie shell, ingenious! Double up on your greens by putting them in the shell and the filling. This is a great opportunity to use up any greens that may be clogging your veggie drawer. Make more than one, because they freeze easy, too.

Ingredients

About 1 pound greens, including tender stems

2 – 3 Tablespoons butter (veg oil works, but isn’t as flavorful)

3/4 cup all purpose flour

3/4 cup bread crumbs (bran also works; either wheat or oat)

optional herbs (dill, celery seed,)

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 375°. Lightly oil a 9 inch pie plate. Chop greens (or pulse in food processor) until they are finely minced (if stems are tough, you could remove, but I’ve not had a problem with them). Melt butter in a heavy skillet and add greens. Sautee until soft, then transfer to a bowl and mix in flour, bread crumbs, and herbs. Press mixture into the pie plate, using a fork or spatula to spread evenly and then forming the edges with your fingers. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. At that point you can refrigerate or freeze for later use, or without cooling, use it for a quiche (since the oven’s hot, why not?)

To make Quiche

1 Winter Greens Pastry Shell (see above)
1/2 Pound Grated Cheese (Swiss, Cheddar, etc.)
Enough Sauteed greens, onions, peppers to fill Winter Greens Pastry Shell
3 eggs
1 cup milk or soymilk

Sprinkle grated cheese on bottom of shell. Fill to the top with mixture of
sautéed greens, onions, peppers, more herbs, etc. Beat  eggs
with milk (or soy milk) and pour over greens.
Bake at 375° for about 30 minutes, or until center is firm. I
haven’t seasoned with salt or pepper; there seem to be plenty
of good flavor enhancers in there naturally

Submitted by Howard Frederick, Tucson CSA