Jun. 28, 2021
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In this recipe round up, I have gathered my best and most delicious summer salad meal recipes in one post, for days when it’s too hot to cook!
April 18, 2011
Wild Nettle-Kopita
A springtime favourite, Spanakopita made with wild nettles instead of spinach is Nettlekopita. It is the greenest essence of spring, mingling with sweet leeks and salty cheese, and a buttery toasty pastry crunch with every bite.
A springtime favourite, Spanakopita made with wild nettles instead of spinach = Nettlekopita. I’m sure the Greeks would have a different name for it, but I’m attached to my made-up name, using it as I have for at least a dozen years.
I sometimes refer to them as Nettle Hand Pies. Whatever name you prefer to call them, they are DIVINE.
In early spring, I sometimes forage for wild nettles, which grow abundantly on Vancouver Island. I have also been known to buy some from a local farmer or farm market, if I haven’t had the chance to get out foraging.
But don’t let a lack of nettles discourage you from making this recipe – it can also be made with spinach or a mixture of any robust leafy green vegetable. It will be delicious no matter what.
Nettlekopita is the greenest essence of spring, mingling with sweet leeks and salty cheese, and a buttery toasty pastry crunch with every bite. Beloved by my whole family, especially my children, I even made a version of these on my TV show!
Wild Nettle-Kopita
This delicious savoury pastry, akin to Spanakopita, is made with wild nettles in place of spinach. Other greens can be used as well. Delicious, with sweet leeks, mineral greens, and salty cheese.
Ingredients
Filling
375 g (3/4 lb) wild nettles, or other leafy green
120 g (1/4 lb) fresh spinach, or more nettles, or other leafy green
1000 ml (4 cups) sliced leeks (3 to 5 leeks, white and light green part)
57 g (1/4 cup) butter
5 ml (1 tsp) minced fresh thyme
2.5 ml (1/2 tsp) dried oregano (or 1 tsp fresh)
1 ml (1/4 tsp) salt, or more to taste
1 ml (1/4 tsp) freshly ground pepper
250 g cottage cheese
200 -250 g good quality feta cheese
60 ml (1/4 cup) minced fresh dill
2 eggs
Note ~ You can eliminate the cottage cheese and increase the feta to 300 g. Macedonian feta is dreamy in this recipe.
Pastry & Rolling
1 pkg phyllo pastry, thawed
150 g butter, melted
Instructions
Filling
- Get out your largest pot. Put a couple of inches of water in the bottom and bring to a boil. Being very careful not to touch the nettles (or using rubber gloves, in case you think you might), dump all of the nettles into the pot. Cover and let the nettles steam for 3 to 7 minutes, until wilted and tender. It is helpful to stir the nettles around with tongs from time to time. Use tongs to remove the nettles from the pot and place on a tray to cool.
- Repeat process with the spinach, minus the rubber gloves and extreme care. Also, spinach will only take a minute to wilt.
- Cut leeks in half lengthwise, but leave the root intact. Run the leeks under cool running water to remove any dirt trapped between the leaves. Shake dry. Slice the white and light green parts of the leeks crosswise. You should have 4 cups of sliced leeks, so keep rinsing and slicing until you have enough.
- Get out a large saute pan and heat it up over medium heat. Add the 1/4 cup butter and let melt. Add the prepared leeks and saute for several minutes, stirring frequently, until the leeks are soft and sweet (but not browned). Add the thyme and oregano and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Scrape this into a large bowl and let cool.
- The nettles should be cool by now. Pick through and remove any large stems - these tend to be tough. Then, use your hands to squeeze the nettles, handful by handful, until you have removed as much excess water as you can. As you finish squeezing each handful, place it on a cutting board, until you have a tray full of dark green water and a cutting board full of squeezed nettles, looking a bit like frozen spinach (except way better). Discard the water. Repeat with spinach, if using.
- Chop prepared nettles and spinach finely (this takes some doing) and scrape into the bowl with the leeks. Add the salt, pepper, dill and cottage cheese.
- Crumble the feta cheese into very small pieces and add to the bowl with the nettles and leeks. Mix well until the filling is evenly mixed. Taste for salt and add more if you think it needs it.
- Crack the eggs into a small bowl and beat them until evenly coloured. Add the eggs to the filling and mix well with a wooden spoon until evenly mixed.
Pastry & Rolling
- Preheat oven to 375 F. Melt 1/2 to 3/4 cup butter in a small pot. Clean off you counter and rub it dry.
- Have ready a pastry brush, two baking trays lined with parchment paper, a small paring knife, the nettlekopita filling with a soup spoon in it, and lots of clean counter space.
- Place a clean tea towel or piece of parchment down on the counter on one side of you. Open the package of filo pastry and carefully unroll the pastry onto the towel or parchment. Cover with another clean dry tea towel. Get a thrid towel out and moisten it, wring it as dry as you can, and place this over the dry towel that is covering the filo. (This double tea towel business ensures that the filo won't dry out, nor will it get soggy and stick together.)
- Remove the top two tea towels from your filo. Gently remove one sheet of filo and place on the counter in front of you lengthwise. (Like a piece of paper - short side on the bottom, long sides on the sides.) Brush with an even coating of melted butter. Now remove two sheets of filo and place them carefully on top of the first, lining them up as much as you can. Cover the pile of unused filo again with the two towels (dry one first, damp one second). Brush the top of the filo sheet in front of you with melted butter, covering evenly.
- Cut the stack of buttered filo into three long even strips. Spoon about 3 to 4 tablespoons of filling on the bottoms of each strip, as shown in the photo above.
- Fold the bottom of the filo over like a triangle and continue rolling until you have run out of filo. Repeat with the other two strips. Place the rolled filo on the tray and brush the tops with butter.
- Repeat stacking, buttering, cutting, filling, and rolling until all the filo is used up. I often find there are one or two sheets left at the end, instead of three to make a last batch. What I do in that case is brush the sheet with butter, fold it into thirds lengthwise, spoon some filling in and roll up one filo pastry.
- Place the filo in the preheated oven and bake for 25 to 35 minutes, until golden brown. The trays must be rotated top to bottom and back to front halfway through cooking. Let filos cool on the tray or on a rack for several minutes before eating.
- Serve with tzatiki. I find that salad or steamed potatoes make a nice accompaniment.
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My wonderful boyfriend brought home a big bag of nettles that he harvested. I wanted to diversify from the usual steamed nettles and dried nettles for tea, and came across your recipe. Oh my, are they delicious! I only managed to freeze a few because we devoured them. I used only nettles, no spinach, along with dill and sheep feta.
Mmmmm, Francoise! That sounds delicious! I’m happy that you found and enjoyed my recipe (nice to hear from you, as well, by the way!)
Where do you buy sheep feta in Victoria?
Hi Bonnie, sheep feta is available at any supermarket, in the deli section area, usually with either the imported cheeses, or with the olives and pestos. My facvourite brand is called Shepherd Gourmet Dairy and itès available at both Thrifty Foods and The Market on Yates. In a blue rectangular tub. see here: http://www.shepherdgourmetdairy.com/about/where-to-buy.html
I make these several times a year – this time I’m freezing them – I want to have a boat load to enjoy. I added roasted pine nuts and danish blue cheese to some… dinner!!
Glad you love them – I love them too