Equipment
Ingredients
Pastry Dough
- 200 g all-purpose flour
- 115 g unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 3 g fine sea salt
- 60 ml ice water
Filling
- 300 g mixed greens and edible weeds, washed, tough stems removed, roughly chopped
- 30 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 50 g spring onions, thinly sliced
- 2 garlic, minced
- 100 g feta cheese, crumbled
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 3 g lemon zest, freshly grated
- 1 g ground nutmeg
- 2 g black pepper, freshly cracked
Egg Wash
- 1 egg
- 15 ml whole milk
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 291 kcal
- Protein
- 7 g
- Carbohydrates
- 22 g
- Fat
- 20 g
- Fiber
- 2 g
- Sugar
- 1 g
- Sodium
- 310 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 10 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 7 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Cholesterol
- 89 mg
- Potassium
- 125 mg
- Calcium
- 91 mg
- Iron
- 0.8 mg
- Magnesium
- 12 mg
- Phosphorus
- 103 mg
- Zinc
- 0.7 mg
- Vitamin A
- 177 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 4 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.3 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 1.1 mg
- Vitamin K
- 4 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.4 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.06 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.18 mg
- Niacin
- 0.5 mg
- Folate
- 17 mcg
- Water
- 32 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour and fine sea salt. Add the cold, cubed butter.
Using your fingers, rub the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs with some pea-sized pieces of butter remaining.
Drizzle the ice water into the flour mixture, one tablespoon at a time, gently tossing until the dough just comes together. Form into a flat disc, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the sliced spring onions and minced garlic, cooking until fragrant and softened, about 2 minutes.
Add the mixed greens and edible weeds to the pan in batches, tossing until wilted but still bright green.
Transfer the cooked greens to a fine mesh strainer and press firmly with a spoon to extract as much liquid as possible. Let cool for 10 minutes.
In a mixing bowl, combine the drained greens, crumbled feta, lightly beaten egg, lemon zest, nutmeg, and black pepper. Stir until well integrated.
Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
On a lightly floured surface, roll the chilled dough disc out into a circle roughly 30cm (12 inches) in diameter. Transfer the rolled dough to the prepared baking sheet.
Spoon the greens filling into the center of the dough, spreading it evenly but leaving a 5cm (2-inch) border around the edges.
Fold the bare edges of the dough up and over the outer rim of the filling, overlapping the folds slightly to create a rustic, pleated crust. The center of the filling should remain exposed.
Whisk the remaining egg with the milk. Use a pastry brush to apply the egg wash generously over the folded dough edges.
Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the crust is deeply golden brown and the filling is set.
Remove from the oven and let the crostata cool on the baking sheet for at least 15 minutes before slicing.
Chef's Notes
- When foraging, always ensure you are picking from an area completely free of pesticides, herbicides, and excessive pet traffic. Wash all foraged greens thoroughly in multiple changes of cold water.
- Do not add additional salt to the filling mixture until you have considered the saltiness of your specific brand of feta; some are highly brined and will provide all the necessary seasoning.
- For an even flakier crust, perform a series of letter folds (laminating) before the final chill. Roll the dough out into a rectangle, fold it in thirds like a letter, rotate 90 degrees, and repeat once more.
- The egg inside the filling is crucial for binding the loose greens and creating a unified texture, preventing the tart from falling apart when sliced.
Storage
Refrigerator: 4 days — Store in an airtight container to prevent the pastry from absorbing fridge odors.
Freezer: 2 months — Freeze baked slices individually wrapped, or freeze the unbaked assembled crostata raw to bake from frozen.
Reheating: Reheat in a 175C/350F oven for 10-15 minutes until the crust is re-crisped and the center is warm.
Troubleshooting
Soggy bottom crust
Cause: The cooked greens were not drained thoroughly before being placed on the dough.
Fix: Cover the top loosely with foil and bake on the lowest oven rack or directly on a pizza stone for an extra 5-10 minutes.
Prevention: Squeeze the cooked greens extremely well; you can even twist them in a clean kitchen towel to wring out excess moisture.
Dough is cracking when folding
Cause: The dough is too cold from the fridge or lacks sufficient moisture.
Fix: Pinch the cracks together with slightly dampened fingers.
Prevention: Let the chilled dough sit at room temperature for 5 minutes before rolling. Ensure proper hydration when adding ice water.
Overly bitter filling
Cause: Too high a ratio of mature dandelion greens or other bitter weeds.
Fix: Cannot be fixed once baked, but serving with a drizzle of honey or a side of sweet balsamic glaze can counterbalance the flavor.
Prevention: Balance highly bitter foraged greens with mild, sweet greens like spinach or chard, and do not skip the lemon zest.
Cultural Context
The practice of folding wild, foraged greens into a savory pie is deeply rooted in the Mediterranean, most famously represented by the Greek hortopita. For generations, cooks have utilized whatever edible weeds spring provided, balancing their robust, sometimes astringent flavors with rich fats like olive oil or cheese, and enclosing them in humble pastry doughs.
