Swiss Chard Pie

Tourte de Blettes a La Nicoise
by Richard Olney

Ingredients:

• Provencal Pastry Dough
• 2 lb Swiss Chard, parboiled, squeezed dry, chopped
• 2 Eggs
• 1/2 freshly grated parmesan
• 1/4+ teaspoon salt and pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Prepare the Provencal Pastry Dough and chill for about an hour (this adds two hours to your prep as the dough must rest and hour before chilling).

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a mixing bowl combine chard, eggs, cheese, salt and pepper to taste. Using your hands, mix thoroughly.

Lightly oil 10 inch round baking dish. Roll out 1/2 your dough on a lightly floured  surface. Drape over the edge of your pan and press into the bottom evenly allowing edges to hang over slightly. 

Mound chard filling in the center and push out to the edges. Roll out remaining dough and transfer to the top of the pie. 

At the point you can do one of two things:

• trim the edges before pinching the top and bottom together.
• OR, if you like crust, roll the edges and pinch for a nice crispy edge.

Crimp your edges of the pie.  Use a pair of kitchen scissors to cut four or five steam vents in the pie top.  Brush the surface of the rim lightly with oil.

Put in the oven and bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes.

Cook's Note:

You can always try to get creative with pie edges.  Look around your kitchen for something that will leave  an interesting design.  Look at your trivets, spoon edges, etc.

Parboiling is the process of dropping something into boiling water.  you allow it to cook until it just begins to soften and remove BEFORE it is fully cooked.  Essentially you are beginning the cooking process and finishing it elsewhere.