Little greek-style vol au vents

Jan Bilton

Although ‘curly superfood kale’ looks a little more sophisticated than old-fashioned silverbeet, the latter — alternatively known as Swiss chard — is also full of good nutrition. Besides, it has a noble past. It’s one of the vegetables recorded as growing in the Hanging Gardens of Babylon; it appeared in the writings of Aristotle; and it was prominent in George Washington’s garden at Mount Vernon. This is an economical take on Spanakopita. Remove the thick silverbeet stems before weighing. Don’t ditch the stalks, in Europe they are puréed with cream and nutmeg and also pan-fried with garlic. Or try them stir-fried then topped with blue cheese and walnuts.

Ingredients

200 g	Silver beet, trimmed
1	Shallot, diced
1 tsp	Fennel seeds
1 Tbsp	Olive oil
1 large	Egg, lightly beaten
2 Tbsp	Milk
100 g	Feta cheese, crumbled
24	Mini baked vol au vents (Main)

Directions

1. Chop the silver beet leaves and place in a microwave jug. Cover and cook on high for about 3 minutes, or until limp. Cool then chop finely and squeeze dry.
2. Sauté the shallot and fennel seed in the oil, until softened.
3. Whisk the egg and milk, until combined. Add the silver beet and feta cheese.
4. Preheat the oven to 160°C.
5. Place the vol au vent cases on an oven tray. Fill with the silver beet mixture. Bake for about 20 minutes, until the filling is set.

More of Jan's vege dishes

• Kumara leaf tagliatelle
• Shanghai cabbage fritters