While many of use are drawn to light, refreshing, summery salads this time of year, in actuality, lettuces and greens, such as arugula and spinach, do not tolerate the summer heat. In fact, they downright hate it — the seeds don’t germinate well, the leaves wilt, they bolt, they send up flower stalks and quickly go to seed.

However, there are more heat-tolerant greens you might try seeking out. Take Malabar spinach. This vigorous, edible perennial vine is unrelated to true spinach, though produces abundant, large, meaty leaves that are remarkably spinach-like in taste and appearance. It also doesn’t seem to release as much water content as true spinach when cooked down. Accordingly, Malabar spinach can easily replace your typical spinach in the classic Greek ‘spinach’ pie known as Spanikopita.

 You can prepare Spanikopita any number of ways — in a large pan from which individual square servings are cut, rolled into individual triangles or, perhaps most decoratively, into the shape of a spiral, the latter as I did today. Regardless of how you decide to shape it, you’ll be left with lots of yummy filling sandwiched between flaky pieces of thin, crisp phyllo.

Spanikopita is best enjoyed straight from the oven, when the phyllo is at its flakiest and crispiest. Phyllo tends to get soggy quickly, though it reheats really well. Just pop a piece of Spanikopita into the toaster oven for a few minutes to allow the phyllo to crisp up again.

Hope you give Malabar spinach a try.

Happy summer cooking!

Spanikopita Spiral

Spinach and Feta Filling:
2 large leeks, white and light green parts, washed and chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 pounds of greens (used Malabar spinach)
3 scallions, chopped
1 bunch dill
1 small bunch mint
1 large egg
1 1/4 to 1 1/3 cups crumbled feta
pinch of red pepper flakes, more or less to taste
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Squeeze of lemon juice
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Finishing the Spanikopita:
Phyllo/filo
Melted butter or olive oil for brushing
Toasted sesame seeds

For the filling: 
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet. Sauté the leeks until soft, about 5 minutes. Cool.

Place the greens in a large skillet with no liquid. Cover and cook over low heat until just wilted, about 5 minutes, giving them a stir from time to time. Drain and squeeze out any excess moisture. Cool. Chop the greens.

In a large bowl, combine all filling ingredients.

Finishing the Spanikopita:
Preheat the oven to 350F.

Grease a large, round baking dish lightly with melted butter or olive oil. 

Remove one sheet of phyllo pastry and lay it out on a clean work surface with the long end facing you. Keep the remaining phyllo sheets rolled up and covered to prevent drying out.

Brush your phyllo sheet with a light layer of melted butter or olive oil. Spread a few tablespoons of your spinach and feta mixture along the long end of the phyllo pastry sheet closest to you. 

Roll the phyllo sheet tightly around the filling and continue rolling until you get to the end. You should now have a long round tube of phyllo pastry filled with spinach. Coil the tube up to make a tight spiral and place it in the middle of your baking dish. Repeat the process with the remaining sheets of phyllo and spinach filling, coiling the next piece around the first. 

Brush the top of your spinach pie with melted butter or olive oil and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Bake the spanakopita for 45 to 50 minutes or until the top is crispy and golden. Remove and enjoy warm!