It has been a couple of intense weeks here in Italy. The city seems to sleep, and our countryside has totally evolved, filling our eyes with natural beauty. Being in the countryside helps me a lot when bearing the lockdown situation we are in. The gardening season has officially begun, and we have sown so many different varieties this year - the garden will look like a jungle in summer, and I can't wait!

Being in constant connection with nature gives my mind the possibility to wander. After a whole day of working, I take some time to walk in our woods, pick some wildflowers, or even asparagus if I find any. Our fields are entirely green, and the Swiss chard is growing everywhere. The spring is extremely warm this year with the most beautiful days, and I can not be grateful enough that I can actually enjoy it.

Being almost self-sufficient, growing your produce, and having your animals get a new dimension when quarantine. Now, more than ever, I appreciate our small garden and everything these fields are giving us.

This savory Swiss chard ricotta pie was inspired by one of those walks in the fields. After collecting a handful of swiss chard down the hill and passing by the chickens to collect fresh eggs, I remembered that I have some sheep ricotta our neighbors down the street have left for us. I knew we would have a pie for dinner.

An easy whole grain shortcrust, some freshly beaten eggs mixed up with ricotta, and slightly blanched chard, and the pie is ready for the oven. This time I was in the mood for some decoration, but you can also make a Swiss chard tart if you feel more like it. Use half of the crust ingredients to make one round base and cover it with filling. The result will be great, I assure you.

This shortbread crust is made with olive oil instead of butter, and if you use whole grain flours, you will get a tasteful tart with enough crunch and texture. I always use spelt flour, but a mixture of spelt and rye flour would work perfectly as well. As this might be a sensitive period to find all different kinds of flour, you can also use regular white flour or a combination of whole wheat and all-purpose flour as well. The recipe calls for sesame seeds as they add that extra flavor, but it is totally up to you if you want to add them or not. No need for adding eggs or butter – this tart base is light in texture and so tasteful. Perfect for vegan recipes and veggie tarts.

alternatives to the recipe

In my kitchen, everything is versatile. If you don't have Swiss chard, use spinach or other leafy greens such as chicory. If you don't have sheep ricotta use the regular one or even a mixture of mild, fresh cheeses. The taste of the pie will depend on how strong your cheese is, and I wouldn't recommend using those that have a strong flavor as they will completely cover the taste of Swiss chard in the filling.

I hope you will enjoy this recipe and if you decide to make it, make sure to tag me on Instagram @thehungryapron and use #makingordinarymagical to find and share your creations!

Savory Swiss Chard Ricotta Pie
Marija Gvozdenovic

INGREDIENTS

Serves 8 

For the  crust 

500g spelt flour

90ml olive oil

4 tbsp sesame seeds

pinch of salt

ice-cold water

FOR THE filling

250g ricotta cheese

300g blanched Swiss chard

2 eggs

salt to taste

ground black pepper to taste

1 egg yolk + 2 tbsp milk for brushing

METHOD

In a large bowl mix together flour, sesame seeds, and salt. Add olive oil and start adding water, a spoon at the time. Knead the dough until elastic and smooth. Add more water if the dough feels dry or a bit more flour if it results too wet. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 40 minutes.
Prepare your filling by beating 2 eggs and mixing them with ricotta. Add in slightly cut blanched Swiss chard. Adjust with salt and pepper.
Preheat your oven at 180°C. Prepare a round baking dish Ø24cm and cover with a baking sheet. Roll out the half of your dough on a lightly floured surface and transfer it to the baking pan. With a fork, make little holes, so your pastry doesn’t rise while baking. Cover with swiss chard ricotta filling. Repeat the process with the other half of the dough and cover the pie by sealing the edges. Brush the pie with egg yolk mixture and bake for 40-60 minutes until your pastry has a nice golden color. Serve warm.

NOTES

If you decide to make a tart instead of a pie, use half of the ingredients for the crust and the same amount of filling. Check your tart after 30 minutes as it will take less to bake than a pie will.

It has been a crazy couple of weeks. To be honest, there are days that I have no idea which date or day is. It seems like March 57th. We have been social distancing for six weeks now and despite the quarantine, days have been flying extremely fast by. From working, to cooking and experimenting with new recipes, gardening and sowing first tomato seeds, we have been enjoying the spring in the countryside, fresh air in the woods and sunshine. 

In the kitchen, I've experimented with lots of pantry friendly recipes as I know that nowadays not all the ingredients are actually always available. This cake is one of those recipes that requires simple ingredients and can be easily adjusted to what we actually have at home.

The strawberry season has begun in Italy, and I had to stock my fridge with these red beauties before they were all out. Their sweet taste goes so well with refreshing notes of lemon and coconut cream gives that extra creamy texture to the whole cake. The cake itself is very soft and moist and has a zesty lemon taste. 

Even though this recipe is very simple, here are some pantry friendly options if you don't have all the ingredients at home:

• If you don't have strawberries, top the cake with fresh or frozen berries. In case you use them frozen, cook 200g of mixed frozen berries with 4 tbsp sugar. Leave to cool and then drizzle over the coconut cream.

• If you don't have coconut cream, you can top it with some regular whipped cream or heavy cream. If neither of these is currently in your fridge, sprinkle the cake with powdered sugar and slice fresh fruit on top. If you don't have powdered sugar, it can be obtained by grinding some regular granulated sugar in a food processor or blender.

• If you don't have either fresh/frozen fruit or cream, cut the cake horizontally and add some strawberry marmalade in between the layers. Sprinkle the cake with powdered sugar and serve.

As you can see, this recipe is very versatile and you can enjoy several varieties of this cake during the spring. I know that this Easter will not be the usual extended-family gathering as we all are staying home, but there is always room for celebration and a good refreshing cake for dessert.
 
If you decide to bake it, tag me on Instagram @thehungryapron and use #makingordinarymagical so I can repost your creations! Stay home and take care.

Vegan Lemon Cake with Coconut Cream
and Strawberries
Marija Gvozdenovic

INGREDIENTS

Serves 8  

For the  cake 

140g fine brown sugar

260ml sparkling water

120ml sunflower oil

zest of 1 lemon

200g all-purpose flour

1tsp vanilla sugar

1tsp baking powder

1tsp baking soda

FOR THE coconut cream 

1 can (400g) full-fat coconut milk, chilled overnight

2 tbsp sweetener (maple syrup or powdered brown sugar)

TO GARNISH 

fresh strawberries 

METHOD

Preheat your oven at 180 degrees Celsius (350 °F).

In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, water, sunflower oil, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Add flour, baking soda, baking powder, and vanilla sugar. Mix well until incorporated. The cake batter will be liquid, but that is fine.

Grease and flour a 20cm round pan or line your pan with a parchment paper. Pour the mixture and bake for 40 minutes, or until the top is set and the toothpick inserted comes out clean. Place it on a cooling rack and let it cool completely before serving.

Prepare coconut whipped cream by taking out the can of coconut milk (that you had in the fridge overnight). You need to chill the coconut milk until it’s very firm. Open the can and scoop the solid white coconut cream in your mixing bowl. Pour the remaining liquid part in a separate bowl and reserve it for making smoothies or other desserts. With the help of an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, beat the cream until smooth and fluffy. Add in the sweetener of your choice to taste. Place whipped cream back to the fridge until ready to use. It will firm when chilled and soften at room temperature.

Once the cake has cooled down and is ready to serve, top it with some whipped coconut cream and fresh strawberries. Enjoy!