Torte salate, quiches or pie

Whenever we have a get- together there is always someone who offers to bring along a Torta salata. My son's mother-in-law and I often remark that the ones made by the other taste better. She has a theory that it's because someone else made it. She prefers mine and I prefer hers.

There are so many variations on Torta salata. In English they are called pies, flans or quiches, as in French.

Here is my favourite recipe for a Spinach Pie. You can vary it according to what you have on hand. You just need the ready-prepared puff pastry and a couple of eggs to start .

Spinach Pie

1 packet of ready to cook puff pastry
300 g frozen spinach, cooked and well drained
250g ricotta or feta cheese
2 eggs
nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste
pine nuts


















Set the oven at 180 degrees and put the pastry lined pie dish in while it is heating up, so the base dries out a bit. Mix the spinach, eggs and cheese in a bowl, then add the seasonings to taste. Take the pie dish out of the oven and fill it with the spinach mixture. scatter some pine nuts over the surface and return to the oven when it has reached the right temperature for about 30 minutes.
If the pastry starts to brown too much before the filling is set, cover lightly with foil.
This is a great dish for any time of year, warm or cold. 

Cottleston, Cottleston, Cottleston Pie,
A fly can't bird, but a bird can fly,
ask me a riddle and I reply:
Cottleston, Cottleston, Cottleston Pie.

This rhyme comes from Winnie-the-Pooh. I think Cottleston pie is made with a filling of bacon and eggs.