Every country has its own characteristic food. When you see or read about it, you know it’s from there. Like the pizza from Italy, the fish and chips from England and the croissant from France. When it comes to Greece people would probably say Souvlaki or Gyros, but I disagree.
Savoury or sweet pies
I think what is really characteristic of Greece is what we make all over the country in hundreds of variations: pies. Meat, vegetarian or vegan, with pastry or without, made with olive oil or butter, sweet and savoury. On todays blog I introduce to you the zucchini pies!
When Greeks talk about food and the word pita is part of a spoken word, they are talking about a pie of some kind. In this moment you know you have to try what they are talking about; it’s so delicious! Most of the pies you can find at the bakeries in Greece. Try a traditional Greek breakfast around 10 o clock with a freshly baked pie and coffee. Of course at Odyssey we are more than happy to serve this to you!
Greek pies for every moment
The Greeks also eat pies for lunch or dinner, as well as a snack in the afternoon. Even better is eating the pies after a night out on your way home in the early hours of the morning. It’s the last minute you share with your friends before you go to bed at 4 or 5 in the morning.
In ancient Greece they made a lot of different pies, the most famous of all would be the one with cheese, honey and oil. It’s similar to the melopita, which are now made on the Cycladic island of Sifnos.
Filo
Today the most used pastry for the pies is filo, which I often make myself. This one is different from the one you can buy; it’s made with olive oil and is a bit thicker than the almost airy crust you can buy at the supermarket. Another time I will tell you more about the filo, for this recipe we use a ready made one!
Making Zucchini Pies
We start this recipe by grating the zucchini!
Folding zucchini triangles
Prepare the zucchini mixture and preheat the oven. Cut the layered filo pastry into long strips about 5 cm wide. Lay out one strip of filo at a time on your work surface with one of the narrow ends close to you. Place a tablespoon of filling on the end nearest to you. Fold the bottom right corner over the filling to the left edge to form a triangle.
Fold the triangle up, bringing the point at the bottom left up to rest along the left edge. Turn the lower left corner over to touch the right edge – like folding up a flag. Continue turning the triangle over in this manner until you reach the end of the filo. Repeat this with the remaining filling and filo pastry strips.
[Making Zucchini Pies]
Zucchini Pies ready for the oven
Place the zucchini pies on a large baking tray, brush them with the remaining olive oil and sprinkle some sesame seeds on top. Bake the triangles in the oven until they are golden brown, around 20 minutes.
The zucchini pies are extra delicious coming out of the oven, let them cool off a little of course! Enjoy!!
Hi Katerina
Making this tonight,
how many will it make and what are you brushing on the end piece of filo?
It is not listed in the instructions
Thanks
Hello Jim!
It depends on how big you make the triangles, but this recipe makes more or less 60 small triangles. I just brush olive oil on the pies before they go into the oven.
Goodluck making the zucchini pies!
Katerina
Hi Katerina,
Can these be pre made and then cooked later or will they go soggy? Similarly, can they be frozen?
Thanks
Hi Emily , sorry for my late reply , I have enough time now to write. They do go soggy if you pre make them. If you make them and freeze them is much better. You can turn on the oven and put the frozen pies straight in , don’t wait for the oven to come to the right temperature. Every oven is fifferent, but normally in 30 minutes, from the moment you put them in the oven, they will be cooked. Check them more often .
Good luck