Fried ricotta, feta and silverbeet pites…and roadtrip to Dromana

Last weekend, my family and I had the pleasure of having our very good friends stay at mum and dad's shack in Dromana.

The day started off with 40 minutes on the treadmill and then a walk to the supermarket to stock on snacks for the kids…All 7 of them and all great kids!  On the way back, even though I vowed not to walk passed, Evangeline and I walked home via High Street..All closed off due to the open for inspection at The Block.  Thousands where lining up..Memories of my open for inspections from my Real Estate days..NOT!!  After years of lining up at Chasers, Warehouse and Chevron in my past life I have said NEVER again..and I haven't! So I didn't. I'll just have to see the finished apartments on TV like the rest of us who didn't line up.

Opposite the apartment block at Melbourne Polytechnic there where several marquees set up so Evangeline and I went to check it out.. We were bombarded with free lollypops, stickers, popcorn, water, swisse protein bars. We even saw a few of the contestants.  Now this is the 2nd The Block series I have watched.  I got into the first one many years ago and this one only because I walked passed it everyday and was curious.  I am a die hard fan now.

Evangeline does not sit and watch the show with me, she does however watch snippets here and there and has become TOTALLY obsessed with Chris and Jenna. She was lucky enough to meet Jenna on the Friday before the open and have a photo taken with her.  Lovely, lovely girl...On Saturday she spotted Chris and Jenna…She ran up to Chris and threw her arms around him…I have created a groupie!!

Anyway, enough about The Block, back to Dromana and the recipe!

We didn't do much on Saturday night after arriving..I was going to light the wood fired oven…Too hard, too little time so we ordered takeaway..On Sunday we all went for a drive to Bittern Farmers market..Great little country market.  

We stocked up on veggies, Blue Bay ricotta, cheddar and polish sausages.  They were all delicious!  I must say, I have never tasted anything like this ricotta.  It was rich and very creamy.  When we were buying our produce the guy selling it did make a point about how how beautiful the ricotta was due to the milk they used.  To be honest, it went in one ear and out the other, until I opened the package a couple of days later and tasted it.  OMG!!! Sensational!  Now I had to decide what to make…Ricotta gnocchi, ricotta pancakes, pites…After going nuts filling bags of wild greens from  mums garden I had to use it in my wild green pita (pie).

Sorrel, stinging nettles, poppies, silverbeet, spring onions

After making 2 pies I had a bit of filo dough left over..So I made fried pites with some silver beet, dill, (from my garden) Blue Bay ricotta and other bits and pieces.

I was inspired by all the Greek mamas who would fry up little pies with left over dough and filling.  Usually just feta cheese.  This was the children's treat..Kids didn't have to wait an hour before the pie was ready..These parcels of deliciousness are ready in just 5 minutes… 

The beauty of these are you can put whatever you like in them.  Cheese and ham, feta, potato….whatever you like.  This time I put the following in my 4 parcels:

Blue Bay ricotta (1 cup)

feta (100 gr)

dill (sprig)

silverbeet (2 large leaves)

spring onion (2 spring onion)

pepper salt (to taste)

homemade filo pastry (1 cup flour makes 4 parcels)

olive oil for frying

Divide dough into 4 balls. Roll out filo dough thinly.  Put a couple of large tablespoons of mixture in the middle and fold into a parcel.  (I forgot to take the photo!)

Chop your greens

Mix cheeses with your greens and season to taste

My little chef getting into the action

Fry on medium/high heat until golden brown on both sides

Drain on kitchen paper

…and enjoy

SO YUMMY!!!!

You won't regret it if you decide to make them….

Carol xxxx