Lemony Kale Crostata

Crostatas are a gift for the brunch-time entertainer. They look impressive yet the dough preparation and assembly is forgiving, the free spirit of pastry. The filling here is loaded with greens. We’ve used kale but you could easily substitute spinach, sweet potato leaves, chard, or any seasonal green that takes well to a good sauté and olive oil. The lemon keeps it fresh and the feta and dill take this flavor profile right to sunny days in the Greek isles. Serve hot out of the oven or at room temperature for a light dinner or as part of a brunch spread.

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Pairing Notes:

Lemon, dill, greens and feta – sounds Greek to me! We are loving this crostata paired with the Sigalas Assyrtiko-Monemvasia PGI Cyclade. The 50/50 blend of native grapes Assyrtiko and Monemvasia features a clean, mineral salinity and lemon and tropical aromas that are a perfect accompaniment to lazy afternoons lingering at the table. A mineral Chablis or bone-dry Aussie Riesling could easily find their way alongside this crostata.

Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Yield: 6 - 8 servings

Dough

2 tsp fennel seeds

270 grams All Purpose flour

½ tsp salt

120 grams cold butter, cut in small cubes

10 grams grated Parmesan

2 egg  

½ cup ice water

1 T. milk

Filling

10 cups chopped kale, woody stems removed

4 T. olive oil

½ onion, minced

Salt and pepper

1 cup dill, roughly chopped

Zest of one lemon

90 grams feta

  1. At least 30 minutes before cooking, prepare the dough. Toast fennel seeds over medium high heat in a small frying pan until aromatic. Let cool slightly then crush in a mortar and pestle or in a spice grinder.

  2. Stir flour and salt in a large bowl. Add butter and cut into flour with pastry cutter or hands until butter resembles small pebbles. Stir in Parmesan and ground fennel. Add one egg, beaten, to the flour mixture and mix with a fork. Add ice water one tablespoon at a time, mixing the dough by hand just until the mixture comes together and is no longer dry, careful not to overwork the dough. (This can also be done in a food processor.) Gather dough together and press lightly into a disk. Cover in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

  3. Preheat oven to 180°C.

  4. Prepare greens. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a heavy bottomed pot. Add onion and cook for 5 minutes until softened. Add kale, in batches if necessary, until wilted down. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer wilted kale to a medium bowl. Stir in dill, lemon zest, and 70 grams of crumbled feta. Taste and add more salt and pepper or drizzle of olive oil if desired.

  5. Roll out crostata dough between two sheets of parchment paper. The dough does not have to be perfectly round but should be about 35 cm across and roughly the same thickness throughout. Peel off top parchment and transfer dough with the bottom parchment to a baking sheet. Prick crust with a fork all over, within 5 cm of the edge.

  6. Spread kale mixture across dough leaving the 5 cm empty around the edge. Working one jagged edge at a time, fold dough up and over the kale mixture, overlapping the dough as you go to form a 15 cm crust. When you have worked your way around, beat the remaining egg with the milk and brush over the crust for an egg wash. Crumble the remaining feta over the visible kale middle.  

  7. Place the crostata in the preheated oven and bake for 35 – 40 minutes until golden. Serve warm or at room temperature.

RecipesAmy Powell