Green green pie

SERVES 8 PREP AND COOK TIME 1 HOUR 40 MINUTES (+ STANDING AND COOLING TIME)

Although called a pie, this traditional baked vegetable-and-herb-packed recipe is more like a frittata, as it contains no pastry.

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 medium (250g) zucchini, sliced very thinly 700g silver beet, washed

1 punnet (175g) baby green beans, trimmed 125g Greek fetta, crumbled

125g kefalotyri cheese (see tips, opposite page) or parmesan, grated coarsely

¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill, extra to serve 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint, extra leaves to serve

¾ cup (50g) fresh breadcrumbs (see tips) 8 eggs, beaten lightly

¼ cup (35g) sesame seeds, toasted finely chopped fresh tomato, capsicum and red onion, for serving

1 Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Grease a 24cm x 6cm (8 cups) round ovenproof dish liberally with some of the olive oil.

2 Combine zucchini and 1 teaspoon fine sea salt in a colander over a large bowl; stand for 30 minutes. Rinse zucchini under cold water; drain. Pat dry with paper towel. Trim the stems from silver beet leaves; discard stems or use in another recipe. You will need about 300g trimmed leaves.

3 Meanwhile, cook beans in a large saucepan of boiling water for 3 minutes or until tender. Remove beans with a slotted spoon, refresh in a bowl of iced water; drain well. Cut beans in half.

4 Add silver beet leaves to water in pan, return to the boil; drain immediately. Refresh under cold running water; drain well. Squeeze silverbeet to remove excess liquid; pat dry with paper towel. Finely chop silver beet.

5 Place zucchini, beans and silver beet in a large bowl with cheeses, herbs, breadcrumbs, eggs, sesame seeds and remaining olive oil; mix well to combine. Season. Spread mixture into the prepared dish; level the surface.

6 Bake pie for 1 hour or until golden and set in the middle. Cover loosely with foil after 40 minutes to avoid over-browning.

7 Serve pie warm or at room temperature and top with extra mint and dill leaves. Accompany with tomato, capsicum and red onion, if desired. Drizzle with a little extra oil.

Suitable to freeze. Not suitable to microwave.