Kolokithopita—Zucchini Pita

4 – 5 medium zucchini

salt

kolokithopita.JPG1 large onion

about 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper powder (or a few good shakes)

4 or 5 eggs

about 250 grams salted butter or margarine

1 box phyllo (filo) pastry

 

 

THE FILLING

Wash the zucchini and grate them into a large bowl.  Sprinkle generously with salt, mix, and add more salt.  Mix occasionally over about 15 -20 minutes.  The salt will pull out the water from the zucchini.  Squeeze out the grated zucchini, removing as much of the water as possible.

 

In a large bowl, beat the eggs with an electric mixer if you have one (hand-powered mixing is okay, too). Add the grated zucchini.  Also grate in as much of the onion as possible (save the leftover pieces for a stew or some other dish).  Add some black (or preferably white) pepper.  There is no need to add salt because the zucchini is already salted and you will use salted butter to assemble the dish.

 

PUTTING IT TOGETHER

Take a large rectangular pan.  If your oven and pans are smaller, you will have to make adjustments.  Rub some butter or oil on the bottom and sides of the pan.  Now open the phyllo--you will unwrap dough that looks like pieces of A3 paper.  Unwrap it on a towel and keep it covered when you are not using it--it becomes dry very quickly and will fall apart if you do not cover it.  Take the butter and melt it in a small pan.

 

Take one sheet of phyllo and place it on the bottom of the pan (I use a pan almost the size of the phyllo sheet; for a smaller pan, fold the sheet over. Then brush the phyllo with the melted butter.  Continue layering with half the phyllo sheets, then pour the zucchini and egg mixture on top of the layers. Use a spoon to make sure the filling is about evenly distributed. Continue layering the phyllo sheets and pour the last of the melted butter over the top of the last sheet on top.

 

Put the pan in the oven and bake it at about 160C for about 1/2 hour, until it puffs up and starts to turn a golden color.  Be careful the top doesn't turn black.  Better to turn down the heat or turn off the oven and let the pita finish cooking in the remaining heat.

 

EATING PITA

You can serve it warm as part of a meal.  Or, after it cools, you can cut the contents into large pieces, cover each piece with aluminum foil, and store it in the freezer.  Later, after you thaw it from the freezer, cut it into bite-size pieces and heat it in the oven before serving.  This makes a great appetizer.

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