Lindsay Kolasa

At a recent Seasonal Soiree gathering, I served a delicious spanakopita dish.  My dear friend and foodie Marion Sansing and I collaborate on this monthly event at the MS Modern Homestead Center.

Years ago, I attended Full Moon Feasts in Berkeley, CA while living in San Francisco.  These gatherings around delicious, local food led the organizer, Jessice Prentice, to eventually write one of my all-time favorite book on food, “Full Moon Feast:  Food and the Hunger for Connection.” 

I really enjoy the Seasonal Soirees as they provide me and my culinary collaborator endless avenues for creative expression through taste.  Further, we get to support local farmers and educate people on the importance of local food, both nutritionally and economically.

Our last Seasonal Soiree focused on the beauty of the honey bee, as well as its recent challenges with Bee Colony Collapse Disorder (largely due to pesticide use, especially harsh pesticides).  Because we wished to focus on honey and honey bees, we looked to the Mediterranean and the Middle East for culinary inspiration.

And, it was this menu that gave birth to this recipe ~ enjoy!  I know some people have been waiting for me to write this blog, so here you go!

Spanakopita (GAPS-friendly – gluten-free – dairy-free)

Crust (for an average sized pie crust):
2 cups almond flour
1 cup arrowroot flour/powder 
1/2 tsp salt
4 tbsp olive oil
2 eggs
thyme & garlic powder (I actually used my apothecary’s Superfood Sprinkles)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Mix all ingredients well, grease pan
Press and form the crust evenly into pan (it will be sticky, so you can put some oil on your fingertips)
Bake 10 min’s (just to slightly prebake the crust); take out of oven and let cool while you mix the filling

Filling:
1 bunch of chard, kale or spinach (or a mix)
1/2 bunch of parsley
1/2 bunch of green onions (or 1/2 regular onion if you don’t have green onions)

Chop all of these ingredients or use a food processor.
***You can also sub any of those greens with your favorite spring weeds like mallow, chickweed, lamb’s quarters, or plantain***

Next, preheat the oven to 400 degrees

Dump all greens into a large bowl and mix with:
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
pepper to taste
4 beaten eggs
1/2 cup quartered kalamata olives 

Mix well.  Scoop into pie crust and smooth the top with a spatula.  Sprinkle the top lightly with cinnamon.  Bake for 45 minutes.  Cover if edges begin to brown too quickly.

Let cool for 5 min, slice and serve with marinated olives…