Editor’s Note: Today we continue with our second installment of Summertime guest foodies with Nanaimo mom of four, master organic gardener and local food chef supreme Krista Johnston.

I first discovered Krista’s warm, wonderful, community-filled spirit years ago and have been a huge fan of her sensibility from that moment on. Her perspective on food is all about thinking local, eating in season and making soul-satisfying meals that the entire family can sit around the table, fork in hand, connecting with each other over.

Today, she gives us a great way to use up those greens that are bursting out of our gardens.

I can’t wait to make this tasty dish.

Take a deep breath. I bet you’ll be able to smell it baking in the kitchen right now.

I felt moved to cook.

Now, believe me when I say that the urge was definitely not inspired by a desire to hit the supermarket to shop for ingredients, nor to spend excessive amounts of time on my feet in the kitchen; but entirely by the gardener’s compulsion to use what they grow, to see it put to good use.

And what this gardener is suddenly being faced with is an overabundance of lush, brilliant green spinach!

And I just know we won’t eat all that spinach raw or in salads in the next few weeks.

The solution was Spanikopita, and it was now or never.

This is a favorite around here.

I have used this recipe a couple dozen times over the last few years, and each time I always wonder why I don’t do it more often?

It’s really not all that much work and for the bit of effort it takes, it’s well worth it. If you like spinach pie, that is.

SPANIKOPITA:

1/2 cup butter (first amount)
1 LARGE bunch spinach, rinsed and chopped (I’d say at least 6 packed cups of chopped spinach is a safe amount)
6 green onions, chopped
3 TBSP fresh dill, or 1.5 TSP dried
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup crumbled feta cheese (goat feta or soy feta is a good alternative in the no-dairy universe)
1 cup ricotta cheese (soft goat cheese also works)
1.5 TSP nutmeg
1 lbs. Fyllo pastry (Edible Island has spelt Fyllo), thawed
1/2 cup melted butter (second amount)

Directions:

1. Heat butter in a medium-sized saucepan on medium heat. Add the green onions, stirring until soft. Add spinach and dill, cook and stir for 3 minutes or until spinach wilts; cool.

2. Squeeze excess liquid from spinach mixture. Place the spinach in a bowl. Add eggs, cheeses and nutmeg. Mix well.

3. Set oven at 350 F.

4. Brush 2 sheets of fyllo lightly with melted butter. Place them on top of each other, cut pastry widthwise into 8 strips. Place 1 TBSP. of the mixture at one end of each strip fold over the end to cover the filling. To shape a triangle fold the end corner diagonally across to the other strip, making sure to keep the triangular shape. Repeat procedure until all strips are used. Place triangles on ungreased baking sheet and brush tops and sides with butter. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown.

Absolutely delicious!

Enjoy!

(Recipe taken from the book A Taste of the Mediterranean – Vegetarian style by Mary Salloum.)

Photos courtesy of Krista Johnston.