Spanakopita

This is an authentic Greek spanakopita pie recipe featuring layers of crispy, flaky phyllo dough and a rich spinach and feta cheese filling. Serve warm for an impressive but easy to make vegetarian main dish.

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 large onion, chopped

• 1 bunch green onions, chopped

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 2 pounds spinach, rinsed and chopped

• ½ cup chopped fresh parsley

• 1 cup crumbled feta cheese

• ½ cup ricotta cheese

• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten

• 8 sheets phyllo dough

• ¼ cup olive oil, or as needed

Directions

1. Gather all ingredients.

2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly oil a 9-inch square baking pan.

3. Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute chopped onion, green onions, and garlic in the hot oil until soft and lightly browned, about 5 minutes.

4. Stir in spinach and parsley, and continue to saute until spinach is limp, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

5. Mix feta cheese, ricotta cheese, and eggs in a medium bowl until well combined. Stir in spinach mixture.

6. Lay one sheet of phyllo dough in the prepared baking pan, and brush lightly with olive oil. Lay another sheet of phyllo dough on top and brush with olive oil. Repeat the process with two more sheets of phyllo dough; the sheets will overlap the pan.

7. Spread spinach and cheese mixture into the pan. Fold any overhanging dough over the filling. Brush with oil.

8. Layer the remaining 4 sheets of phyllo dough, brushing each with oil. Tuck overhanging dough into the pan to seal the filling.

9. Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes.

10. Cut into squares and serve while hot.

Strawberry Spinach Salad

Combining these two classic spring crops is the perfect way to bring in some refreshing, uplifting flavors as bright as a sunny spring day.

Ingredients

Dressing:

• ½ cup white sugar

• ½ cup olive oil

• ¼ cup distilled white vinegar

• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds

• 1 tablespoon poppy seeds

• 1 tablespoon minced onion

• ¼ teaspoon paprika

• ¼ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Salad:

• 1 quart strawberries - cleaned, hulled and sliced

• 10 ounces fresh spinach - rinsed, dried and torn into bite-size pieces

• ¼ cup almonds, blanched and slivered

Directions

1. Make dressing: Whisk together sugar, oil, vinegar, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, onion, paprika, and Worcestershire in a medium bowl. Cover and chill for 1 hour.

2. Make salad: Combine strawberries, spinach, and almonds in a large bowl.

3. Pour dressing over salad; toss to coat. Refrigerate for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

Zucchini Roses

I have a confession to make. I’m a guy that watches British fashion vloggers. Well … my wife does, and I’m just there for the gardening bits. One of the vloggers she follows recently posted a video making Courgette Roses. (“Courgettes” are what Brits call zucchini and summer squash. They have some weird names for veggies. Aubergine? Really?) Anyway, I found a version of the recipe with the temperatures and measurements converted to US units. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed (about 8 ounces)

• All-purpose flour, for rolling out dough

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan

• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves

• 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest

• 1 small summer squash (about 6 ounces), cut in half lengthwise and thinly sliced diagonally

• 1 small zucchini (about 6 ounces), cut in half lengthwise and thinly sliced diagonally

• Nonstick cooking spray

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Roll the puff pastry out to a 12-inch square on a floured work surface.

2. Brush lightly with the olive oil and sprinkle evenly with the cheese, thyme and lemon zest.

3. Cut into 6 even strips.

4. Shingle alternating yellow and green slices of squash and zucchini along the length of each strip of dough making sure to leave half the dough strip uncovered and allowing the green and yellow skins to hang over one edge slightly.

5. Fold the uncovered dough over the squash and pinch together at the two ends.

6. Starting at one end, roll each strip into a spiral.

7. Lightly press the rolled tarts into a muffin tin sprayed with cooking spray.

8. Bake until the crusts are browned and crisp on the bottom, the top is dry and crisp and the squash is tender and browned on the edges, about 40 minutes.

9. Remove to a rack to cool slightly. Serve warm.

Buttery Garlic Green Beans

Green bean recipes make the greatest side dishes. They take very little time to cook and, depending on the method, even less time to prep. This easy recipe for sautéed green beans is a perfect case in point. It preps in just 5 minutes, cooks in about 10 (depending on how crunchy you like your green beans), and is ready in 15 minutes.

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Ingredients

• 1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed and snapped in half

• 3 tablespoons butter

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• ⅛ teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning, or more to taste

• salt to taste

Directions

• Step 1

  Place green beans into a large skillet and cover with water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until beans just start to soften, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain and return to the skillet.

• Step 2

  Add butter and stir until melted, 1 to 2 minutes.

• Step 3

  Add garlic; cook until tender and fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.

• Step 4

  Season with lemon-pepper seasoning and salt before serving.

Zucceazy

The great zucchini harvest is upon us! Here is another recipe to add to your repertoire of zucchini cookery.

Ingredients

• 2 medium zucchini, sliced lengthwise

• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions

• Step 1

Season zucchini with salt and pepper and brush lightly with olive oil.

• Step 2

Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Place zucchini slices, a few at a time, into hot pan and cook until the pattern of the pan is imprinted into zucchini, about 4 minutes. Turn and cook an additional 3 to 4 minutes.

• Step 3

Combine olive oil, vinegar, parsley, garlic, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Brush cooked zucchini with olive oil mixture and serve.

Roasted Strawberries

Usually strawberries are more associated with Spring, but a post on Instagram by Green Valley Gable got me thinking about folks who grow ever-bearing strawberries that produce fruit throughout the summer. This recipe makes the perfect topping for yogurt or ice cream on hot summer days.

Ingredients

• 1 pound fresh strawberries, hulled

• 2 tablespoons white sugar, or more to taste

Directions

• Step 1

  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

• Step 2

  Quarter large strawberries and halve smaller ones. Place strawberries in a 9-inch pie plate. Sprinkle sugar on top and toss several times.

• Step 3

  Roast in the preheated oven, stirring once, until strawberries are soft and juices are thick and bubbly, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool completely.

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