Weed filo

RECIPE BY LIS BASTIAN FROM HER KITCHEN GARDEN, BLUE MOUNTAINS

SERVES 6

olive oil

1 onion, finely diced

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

1 small chilli, thinly sliced

2 cups of finely chopped weeds, greens and herbs — any combination of dandelion leaves, dock, plantain, sorrel, nasturtium, fennel, red mustard, kale, silverbeet (Swiss chard), chives, garlic chives, mint, dill, parsley, salad burnett, beetroot (beet) and broccoli greens

250 g (9 oz) Jannei goat’s cheese (or our favourite brand), roughly chopped

2 eggs, beaten

20 sheets of filo pastry

melted butter, for brushing

Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F/Gas 6). Heat a splash of oil in a frying pan and gently sweat the onion. When translucent, add the garlic and chilli and cook for several minutes. Add the weeds, greens and herbs, mixing through the cooked onion until well combined, and gently cook until the leaves are wilted.

Remove the pan from the heat and transfer everything to a bowl. Once cool, add the goat’s cheese, beaten egg and some freshly ground pepper and a little salt.

Lay out 2 sheets of filo pastry on top of one another, brush with melted butter and repeat, 2 sheets at a time, until you have a stack of 10 sheets. Spread half the herb and cheese mixture along the long side of the pastry, then roll up. Make a second roll in the same way, using the rest of the pastry and filling.

Place the weed rolls on a baking tray, brush the top of each roll with melted butter and bake until the pastry looks golden brown.

Lis’s garden really is an inspiration. She has turned her backyard into a food lover’s paradise, not only growing a terrific variety of vegetables but also keeping her own bantam chooks for eggs. As she says, weeds are an important part of the garden structure and also, it seems, in the kitchen!