Savory Swiss Chard Pie

How could I pass on this? I'd always wanted to try a savory pie, and last week seemed the perfect opportunity. I adapted the recipe of this delectable dish from the awesome book - The French Market Cookbook. 

The original recipe calls for baking swiss chard, prunes and pine nuts in a spelt flour dough. Definitely a healthy and hardy flour! But since I didn't have any on hand, I tried it with puff pastry and it turned out lovely. Anything stuffed inside puff pastry turns out beautifully! But in the spirit of being more healthy, I should definitely try baking with spelt flour - a gluten-free flour I have never used.

I also added sun-dried tomatoes (tart tomatoes with sweet prunes is a wonderful pairing), and walnuts and almond flour for crunch. Finally, I generously increased the quantities of chard leaves (I love them), shallots and prunes for a stronger flavor. Subtle flavors are not an Indian thing :). I strongly recommend using red swiss chard. They are so much more flavorful than regular ones. 

So here is how to put together this extremely easy dish. No cooking involved! Just assemble and bake!

Ingredients (serves 4-5):

1. 4 medium sized shallots, roughly chopped
2. 4 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
3. 10 pitted prunes
4. 1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes (drained from oil and roughly chopped)
5. 8 leaves of Red Swiss Chard (or two small bunches), washed, dried and roughly cut
6. 1/3 cup ground almonds
7. 1/4 walnuts, roughly chopped
8. 1/4 cup olive oil
9. 3/4 salt or as needed
10. 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
11. 2 tablespoons oats
12. 1 package thawed puff pastry sheets (2 sheets, ~1 pound worth)
13. 1 egg + a splash of milk (optional)

Preparation:

1. Grind the shallots, garlic and prunes along with olive oil salt and pepper to form a chunky paste (make sure the garlic is broken down as much as possible)
2. Roll out one sheet of thawed puff pastry sheet into a dimension that fits your baking sheet. Transfer it to a slightly greased baking tray.
3. Spread the prepared shallot-garlic-prune paste onto the sheet, leaving about 1/2 inch around the four edges
4. Spread the ground almonds and oats on top. Place the drained and cut sun dried tomatoes. Then spread out the chard leaves, and top with walnuts and a sprinkle of pepper and salt. 
5. Roll out the second sheet of thawed puff pastry to the same dimension as the first sheet. Gently place on top of the toppings to close and seal the pie. Crimp the edges with a fork. 
6. Whisk together an egg and a splash of milk. Brush this on top of the pie so that it browns evenly. You could also brush some olive oil on top instead of using an egg. Gently make two cuts on the pastry sheet to allow the steam to vent. 
7. Bake at 400 F (preheated oven) for 23-25 minutes until golden brown and puffed 

Cut, and serve immediately for a savory, slightly sweet, crunchy pie! The stuffing is healthy, delicious and so filling. Reduce the quantity of prunes for a slightly less-sweet version. But I like the combination of sweet and savory, so this was perfect! It was balanced and flavorful.

This pie could be served alongside a savory compote of tomatoes and shallots.