When the garden hands you more spinach than you know what to do with, this is the answer. A rich, savoury filling built from things you likely already have (cream cheese, eggs, good hard cheese, a splash of kefir for tang), it comes together quickly and works in almost any format you can think of. Bake it on rolls, fold it in a gozleme, tuck it into a phyllo pie, or spoon it warm into a cob loaf. And when the spinach runs short, stretch it with cabbage, add more eggs and bake it in a tin as a slice that cuts into fingers for the freezer. The filling is the recipe. Or for a slice or side then substitute the cream cheese for ricotta and add a few extra eggs and cook it in a square tin and you have a vegetable side dish. A simple adjustment.

NOT QUITE SPINACH PIE – BREAD ROLL VERSION

Ingredients

• 500g or more raw English spinach (yields about 220g once wilted and squeezed)
• 1 medium onion, finely sliced
• 1 leek, finely sliced
• 2–3 cloves garlic, crushed
• Olive oil for cooking
• 200g cream cheese, at room temperature
• 60g parmesan, finely grated
• 100g cheddar, grated, plus extra for topping
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 60g kefir (3 tablespoons)
• Juice of half a lime
• Good grating of nutmeg
• Salt and pepper to taste

As Made – Baked on Bread Rolls

• 5 white bread rolls, split in half (makes 10 halves)
• Extra grated cheddar for topping
• Bagel seasoning to finish

Method

1. Roughly chop the 500g spinach and wilt in batches in a wide frypan over medium heat. Use a pair of tongs to keep turning it and adding more as it wilts down. Tip into a colander and set aside to cool.
2. In the same pan, heat a little olive oil over low heat. Add the sliced onion and leek and cook slowly for 8–10 minutes until soft and sweet. Do not brown. Add the 2–3 cloves of crushed garlic for the last 2 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.
3. Once the spinach is cool enough to handle, squeeze firmly in a clean tea towel, press into a sieve, or just grab handfuls and squeeze, until very little liquid remains. Chop finely.
4. In a large bowl, combine the spinach, the leek and onion mixture, the 200g of really well softened cream cheese, 60g parmesan, 100g cheddar, 2 beaten eggs, 60g kefir, the juice of half a lime and a good grating of nutmeg. Season well with salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly and taste. The filling should be well seasoned with a gentle tang.
5. Lightly toast the 10 bread roll halves. This creates a moisture barrier and keeps the base crisp.
6. Arrange the toasted halves on a foil-lined oven tray. Spoon one generous ice cream scoop of filling onto each half and spread to the edges. Top with grated cheddar and a sprinkle of bagel seasoning.
7. Bake at 200°C on convection grill setting on the second rack from the top for 15–20 minutes, until the filling is set and the cheese is deep golden. Don’t place it too high. The second rack gives you even heat without burning the top before the filling sets.

NOT QUITE SPINACH PIE – Baked in a Tin

Spinach, Cabbage and Ricotta Slice

The filling above is a spread: two eggs set it softly on a roll but it won’t slice. For a crustless pie that cuts into fingers, it needs more egg. This is the version I made when I had homemade ricotta to use and only one bag of spinach, so cabbage makes up the greens and feta brings the sharpness. No pastry, no base, just a lined tin.

Baked in a Tin – Ingredients

• 350g fresh ricotta, well drained (homemade and quite dry is ideal)
• 120g cream cheese (half a pack)
• 6 eggs
• 130g kefir
• 2 tsp salt
• ½ tsp ground black pepper
• Good grating of nutmeg
• Juice of half a lime
• 300g raw English spinach (130g once wilted and squeezed)
• 300g cabbage, finely shredded
• 2 onions, finely sliced
• 2 large spring onions, sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• Olive oil for cooking
• 100g feta, crumbled
• 60g parmesan, finely grated
• A good handful of grated cheddar for the top
• Bagel seasoning to finish

Baked in a Tin – Method

Cooking the cabbage and onion slowly to dry

1. Make the cheese base. In a food processor, blitz the 350g ricotta, 120g cream cheese and 4 of the eggs until it comes together. Add the 130g kefir, 2 tsp salt, ½ tsp pepper, a good grating of nutmeg and the juice of half a lime and blitz until smooth. Add the last 2 eggs and pulse just to combine. This can be made the day before and kept covered in the fridge. Stir before using.
2. Roughly chop the 300g spinach and wilt it in batches in a wide frypan. Tip into a colander to cool, then squeeze very dry and chop finely.
3. In the same pan, cook the 300g shredded cabbage, 2 sliced onions and 2 sliced spring onions in a little olive oil over medium heat until soft and broken down. Don’t add salt. The cheese base carries all of it.
4. Once the cabbage and onion are soft, turn the heat up, flatten the mix out in the pan and leave it for a minute or two at a time before turning, until there are golden patches through it and the raw onion smell has gone. Turn off the heat, stir in the 4 cloves of crushed garlic and leave to cool to lukewarm.
5. Heat the oven to 180°C fan forced. Line a 23 x 23cm square tin with baking paper, coming up the sides.
6. Fold the spinach, the cabbage and onion mix, the 100g crumbled feta and the 60g parmesan through the cheese base. Leave the feta in pieces so you get pockets of it.
7. Pour into the tin and level it. It will be about 2.5cm deep. Scatter over a good handful of grated cheddar and a sprinkle of bagel seasoning.
8. Bake for 25 minutes, rotate the tin, then bake a further 10 minutes, until the centre no longer wobbles and the top is golden.
9. Rest in the tin for 10 minutes, then lift out by the paper. Cut 4 x 2 into 8 fingers.

Notes

Squeezing the spinach thoroughly is the most important step. Wet filling means a soggy base, regardless of cooking method. Cool it completely before squeezing. It’s much easier to handle and you’ll get more liquid out.

Spinach shrinks more than you expect. A 300g bag gave me 130g once wilted and squeezed, so weigh it after squeezing and top up with other greens if you’re short. Cabbage, silverbeet or kale all work, as long as they go in cooked and dry.

Kefir adds a gentle tartness that lifts the richness of the cream cheese. Plain yoghurt works if you don’t have kefir. The lime juice is a small addition but brightens the whole filling, so don’t skip it.

For the tin version, the salt is all in the cheese base. With feta and parmesan going in as well, don’t season the vegetables.

A wide pan dries cabbage and onion out before they colour. Cook them until soft first, then turn up the heat and stir less to get some browning.

To freeze the slice, cut it into fingers, freeze them on an open tray, then pack between sheets of baking paper in a container.

Frozen spinach works in a pinch. Defrost fully and squeeze very well before using.