Leek and Cheese Pie – Prassopita (Πρασόπιτα)
Dec 31st, 2008 | By Peter Minakis | Category: Baking, Cheese, Eggs, Greek, Herbs, Phyllo, Recipe, Vegetables
Another year is behind us and I would be lying if I told you it was a great year for most. With these trying economic times, we’re seeing the flipside of globalization. Local events can and are being affected by economic factors halfway around the world from where one lives.
We all seem to be in step with trends, fads, news and we’re wired closer to each other but we’re also tethered by economic forces that affect us all.
It’s a time for reflection, a time to again give thanks for what we have and what matters to our lives, our families and our loved ones. As us Greeks say, health above all. If you don’t have your good health, you have NOTHING! I’m thankful for what I have, where I am and content that I can direct my future. Not so many are this fortunate. Remember this and live your lives accordingly.
Tonight, New Year’s Eve, I will be joining a party of 14 friends for what will be a sumptuous meal at one of my favourite eateries in Toronto and we’ll usher in the New Year with bubbly, good wine, hugs, kisses and lots & lots of laughs.
There’s no way I’m cooking tonight, even I need a break from the kitchen but tomorrow’s another story. We’re having folks over for a New Year’s Day dinner but the menu is iron-clad, no surprises and it will allow for me to sleep in and practically prepare the meal in my sleep.
I’ll be roasting another Prime Rib, whipping up some mashed potatoes, green beans with slivered almonds and crispy bacon, a salad with greens and a Pomegranate vinaigrette, a fine-tuned cream of mushroom and chestnut soup and the return of the Quince Bougatsa with the season’s last of the quince.
As is customary for Greeks, a Vassilopita is also usually presented after dinner to be blessed and then cut into pieces and divided amongst the guests. Like many other cultures, celebrating New Year’s “properly” is to assure one of entering the NewYear with some good fortune, and good health.
The Vassilopita’s recipe varies from home to home but you can have a look our family’s take here. The Vassilopita contains a coin hidden in it and whoever gets the piece with the coin is annointed “the one” with the good luck in the coming year.
This year, our family’s decided to take the Vassilopita tradition back to my early days as a boy where my mom would hide the coin in one of her Spanakopitas or Tyropitas.
Recently, my mom and I managed to share and cook in the same kitchen without starting a Third World War and banging out some pretty awesome food. I continue my apprenticeship of making homemade phyllo and beyond watching or reading the instructions from a recipe, the key here is practice, practice, practice.
Another family favourite in the repotoire of savory phyllo pies is the Leek and Cheese Pie or, Prassopita. If you have friends from the northern province of Macedonia, you might be lucky enough to try a piece of this savory pie, generous with a filling of sauteed leeks, zucchini, Feta and fresh Myzithra (ricotta) cheese.
My mom & made the homemade phyllo, just like we did when we made Spanakopita and just ued the filling for the Prassopita (Leek and Cheese Pie). Once again, homemade phyllo requires practice but if you’re adept at handling store-bought phyllo, that would work great here too!
I would to wish all of you a Happy New Year, continued prosperity and good health to all. See you next year!
Prassopita (Πρασόπιτα)
Filling
500gr. fresh Myzithra (ricotta) cheese
500gr. crumbled Feta cheese
1 bunch of leeks (3-4), cleaned, chopped & sauteed in olive oil
2 zucchinis, peeled and grated
3 eggs
1/2 bunch of chopped fresh dill
salt and pepper to taste
- Cut the green parts off the leeks and save for a soup or stock. Cut down the length of the leeks, almost to the root and open the layers of leeks with your fingers and run through cold water.
- Finely chop your leeks and place in a large skillet with a few turns of olive oil and saute until softened and translucent. You may now quickly peel your zucchinis and grate them and add them to the already sauteeing leeks. Add some salt to help draw out the moisture and saute on medium-low heat (covered for about 30 minutes).
- Allow the leek mixture to come to room temperature and then add the remaining ingredients (eggs, cheeses, salt and pepper, chopped dill).
- Prepare the dough and phyllo as per the Spanakopita recipe and add leek and cheese filling. Bake as per instructions.
If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://kalofagas.blogspot.com then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author. © 2007-2008 Peter Minakis
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This looks fantastic (and the whole meal sounds awesome to match). So far, my 2009 is amounting to a big list of food I need to try ASAP. Happy new year to you and your family
This looks fantastic (and the whole meal sounds awesome to match). So far, my 2009 is amounting to a big list of food I need to try ASAP. Happy new year to you and your family
You had me salivating at the first photo. That is one fantastic pie.
Your entire NYE meal sounds just fabulous.
Hope you have a wonderful one!
The pie looks absolutely gorgeous! Who can turn down crunchy phyllo and cheesy filling? No one!
We have almost the same saying: health is the best gift ever!!
Whishing you all the best for 2009!
I hope you and your friends had a lovely new year. Damn, another prime rib? I should do that!
Happy 2009!
The pie looks terrific! Happy New Year, Peter!
Great points Peter. The pie looks tremendous. Happy New Year!
–Marc
This looks fantastic! I just made a dish using leeks last night and I was wondering in what other dishes I could add them. This definitely is a fantastic idea. Besides, who can resist the cheese as well?
I loved this post as you are right, health above all. I tell that to my kids daily. I hope everyone is listening.
Oh man, I hear you on the needing a wee break form the kitchen. If I had a huge tray of that amazing savory goodness, though, I’d do just fine without cooking.
Ηappy New Year Peter, I wish you and your family all the best for 2009!!
I hope you really had a wonderful New Year celebration:))
Does pita/πιτα mean bread? Or stuffed bread or something similar? Just curious as to the meaning — I’m trying to match it with pita bread and the many uses
Delicious looking meal, and Happy New Year my friend!
Καλη Χρονια, δημιουργικη κι ευτυχισμενη. Παω να παρω πρασσα τωρα!!!
That pita looks like perfection to me … the phyllo is amazing and I hope one day I can find the patience and the right recipe of course to make it myself as well. The braided edge is a beautiful touch, the filling looks absolutely delicious and it looks too pretty to even cut into. Xronia Polla kai kalh xronia! Here’s to many more cooking collaborations with your mom!
Petermarcus, “pita” can refer to pita bread or a bread stuffed pie like this one.
Your guesstimate is correct and pita in general refers to a bread-based food.
A mere pita will mean pita bread or a general reference to a pita (such as this one).
Also, it can be part of a compound word, like “Spanakopita”.
My God; that looks out of this world! I’m pawing at the screen trying to figure out how I can get at a piece right now.
Happy new year!
The pies look really professionally done, hope I learn to bake pies next time. Wishing you good health & happiness in 2009 =)
That pie looks absolutely gorgeous and perfect for feeding lots of people. And in my next life, I want a less vanilla ethnic background – all these traditions you describe sound so wonderful!
This leek and cheese pie look to die for! Thanks for the recipe. Methinks we’re going to serve this at our next gathering. It looks like it’s going to be a crowd favourite and gobbled up real quick!