Masquerade Pie for “You Want Pie With That?”

Ah, yes, what can it be?  For, you see, this month’s theme is Masquerade Pie, chosen by Mary at Alpineberry and Jeanette at Jeanette’s Mommy Musings.

“Make a pie that has a secret.”

Well, here you go.  What’s green and white and encased in golden filo? What is masquerading behind that plain exterior?

I had my eye on this recipe for quite some time.  I’m a fan of cookbook author Beth Hensperger, and this Filo Green Tart with Fresh Dill and Feta is from her wonderful book, The Gourmet Potluck: Show-Stopping Recipes for the Buffet Table.

Filo Green Tart with Fresh Dil and Feta
Adapted from a recipe by Beth Hensperger in The Gourmet Potluck: Show-Stopping Recipes for the Buffet Table

Serves 12

Equipment:  an oval baking dish, or a 14-inch deep-dish pizza pan, tart pan, or paella pan

1/3 cup olive oil

1 bunch green onions, finely chopped (white and green parts

1 pound, 6 ounces feta, rinsed, drained, and crumbled

1 pound low fat cottage cheese, drained (I just threw it in a fine mesh colander lined with a paper towel

8 oz. low fat cream cheese

6 large eggs, lightly beaten

4 (10-oz.) packages chopped frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/3 cup chopped fresh dill

1 tsp. lemon juice

1/8 tsp. nutmeg

pinch of salt, and freshly ground pepper

3/4 cup of clarified butter (ghee)

1 pound filo pastry sheets, thawed in the refrigerator

2 Tbsp. milk

sesame seeds (optional)

Saute onions in a bit of olive oil over medium heat until limp.  Set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, combine all the cheeses.  Add the eggs and mix well.  Add the spinach, onions, lemon juice, nutmeg, salt and pepper, dill, and parsley.

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Combine olive oil and clarified butter in a bowl.  Lay the filo sheets on a baking sheet and cover with a clean damp towel (not wet) to keep the filo from drying out.

Coat the inside of your baking dish with olive oil/butter mixture.   Place one sheet of filo in pan so that a quarter of it hangs over the edge of the dish, and brush with oil mixture.  Repeat with seven more sheets of filo, arranging them in a staggered fashion to cover the bottom and sides of the dish, brushing each sheet with oil mixture.  If a couple sheets stick together, don’t worry about it.

Spread the filling evenly into the lined pan.  Repeat the filo procedure with the remaining sheets of filo, covering the top of the tart.  Tuck the flaps in all around the edges of the pan to seal in the spinach mixture.   Paint with butter and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

With a sharp paring knife, score the filo into the desired number of servings, then paint the edges with the milk, which will help keep them from curling up.  Bake about 45-50 minutes, or until the top is golden and crip.  Remove from oven and let cool about 30 minutes before serving.