Guest Recipe: Kathy Slack's ‘There’s Always Chard’ Pie

Flaky, buttery filo filled with tender greens and melty cheese—simple, hearty, and effortlessly comforting. {v, nf}

Pies wrapped in flaky pastry and filled with greens and cheese are a cornerstone of rustic, vegetable-forward cooking. In Rough Patch, Kathy brings her own experiences, celebrating the humble beauty of homegrown produce.

This chard and cheese filo pie is a perfect example — simple, hearty, and endlessly adaptable. Packed with leafy greens and bound together with a rich, cheesy filling, it’s an easy way to make the most of what’s in the garden or the fridge. A perfect option for a cosy weeknight dinner.

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You can find more of Kathy’s recipes, garden musings, and delicious inspiration over on her Instagram and Substack.

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‘THERE’S ALWAYS CHARD’ PIE

{v, nf}

SERVES: 6 Generously

THE INGREDIENTS

• 600g chard

• 2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for brushing

• 3 eggs

• 2 egg yolks

• 150ml double cream

• 100g feta

• 50g cheddar, grated

• 60g Parmesan, grated

• 5 sheets of filo pastry

THE METHOD

Pre-heat the oven to 170°C.

Chard stalks take a couple of minutes longer to cook than the leaves. So, cut the leaves from the stalks. No need to de-vein the leaf itself, just remove the main part of the stem. Finely chop the stalks, then roll the leaves up into a cigar shape and finely shred them.

Warm the olive oil in a large frying pan. Sweat the chard stems for 5 minutes in the oil then stir in the leaves, still wet from washing, and cook for 8–10 minutes until well wilted. Transfer to a sieve and leave to cool, then squeeze the cooled chard between your fingers to remove as much water as you can.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, yolks and cream and season generously.

Crumble in the feta. Add the cheddar, half the Parmesan and the wilted chard, then stir to combine.

Brush a 23cm loose-bottomed cake tin with some oil. Line the tin with a sheet of filo, leaving any extra overhanging. Brush the filo with oil, then place another sheet on top of the first at a 45-degree angle.

Repeat with the remaining sheets until the tin is completely lined and the base sealed. Pour the tart filling into the filo base. Scrunch the overhanging pastry up around the sides of the tart, brush with more oil and sprinkle the remaining Parmesan on top.

Bake for 30–40 minutes, turning halfway, until golden and set. Give it 10 minutes to firm up before you release the pie from the cake tin and serve. It’s just as lovely at room temperature too.

Abbreviations:

v- Vegetarian, pb - Plant based, gf - Gluten Free, nf - Nut free, df - Dairy free.

Extracted from Rough Patch: How a Year in the Garden Brought me Back to Life by Kathy Slack (Published by Robinson, out now in hardback, eBook and Audio, £18.99). Photography by Kathy Slack.