This is a remake of a silverbeet pie I posted last November but here I have instead used the tops of the beetroot I used to make the fritters last week. If you don’t have any beetroot tops you can use silverbeet instead. I like the way the beetroot stalks give splashes of red throughout.

Olive oil pastry

A long time ago, back in 1983 when I was cooking at the Amrita Restaurant in Cuba Mall, we used to make ‘Quick Vegan Pie Crust’ with a mix of flour and oats and equal quantities of water and oil. Rather than roll it out we used to press it into the tin with our fingers. I used to think making it with oil was a hippy invention for feeding the vegans, but in the years since I have learnt that making pastry with olive oil is common in Mediterranean countries. The addition of vinegar helps inhibit the action of the gluten in the flour which keeps it soft. The oil makes it smooth and creamy. The warm water makes it soft and pliable (think playdo).

• 21/4 cups flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup warm water

Place the flour and salt in a bowl. Mix the warm water and olive oil together then pour into the flour. Stir until combined with a fork then knead briefly so it all comes together

Filling

• Large bunch of beetroot tops, about 400gm
• 1 brown onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 3-4 free range eggs, beaten
• 150 g feta cheese, crumbled
• 150 g cheddar cheese, grated

Wash the greens and stalks. Chop the stalks into small pieces. Place in a large lidded pot to cook in the residual water left on the leaves after washing.

Drain, then roll up inside a clean tea towel and wring until there is no moisture left in the leaves,  chop finely. Cook the onion and garlic in the same pot, in the olive oil, until soft.

Add the beetroot tops and stalks back to the pan, stir it through the onion, then add the beaten eggs, reserving about a tablespoon of the egg to brush the pie with later. To construct the pie later you will want the beetroot top mixture to hold up and not be too runny so use your judgement with the amount of eggs.

Add the cheeses and stir gently so as not to break up the feta too much. Taste for salt – usually the cheese makes it salty enough but you may want to add some.

To assemble:

Preheat the oven to 180 C.

Line a baking try with baking paper and on it roll out the pastry to a 35 cm diameter circle.

Place the filling in the center of the circle and spread it out leaving an empty 5 cm rim around the outside.

Carefully fold this rim towards the centre of the circle, pleating it as you go until the whole outside edge of the pie is enclosed.

Brush the pastry with the reserved beaten egg.

Bake in the center of the oven for about an hour or until golden and the eggs are set