Crustless Zucchini Pie Takes me Away...

You will see me mention Aglaia Kremezi and her cooking school Keartisinal on the island of Kea in Greece many times on this blog. It is truly one of those once in a life time memories/ We made this crustless zucchini pie during a class on "Cooking from the Garden". We wandered into her extensive gardens and plucked fresh zucchini , zucchini blossoms, lemons and fresh herbs for our dishes. Nothing was wasted as we even concocted lemon liqueur from the lemon skins. That evening a gentleman from a winery on the mainland introduced us to many of the distinctive wines of Greece paired with Greek cheeses and our Crustless Zucchini Pie we had prepared was also served. Just another wonderful evening with good company and new found friends!!

This simple dish has turned into one of my favourite meals when zucchini is in season. You could also serve it as a side dish of course!

The photo is taken of Aglaia and Costas harbour on the island of Kea.

**Crustless Zucchini Pie**

• 2 lbs zucchini or squash, coarsely grated ( I haven't tried it with squash as yet)
• 3 medium onions, finely minced
• 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1/2 cup fresh mint, minced
• 3 cups shredded cheeses (feta and Parmesan, or whole-milk cottage cheese and blue, or any other combination of sweet and sharp cheeses)
• 3 - 4 eggs, lightly beaten
• sea salt
• 1 small fresh chili pepper, minced or freshly ground red pepper to tatse
• 1/3 cup olive oil

1. Preheat the oven to 375F. In a large bowl, mix the zucchini, onions, cornmeal, mint, cheeses, and eggs. Add the salt and chili pepper to taste, keeping in mind that the cheeses can be very salty.

2. Pour half of the oil into an earthenware baking dish 10 - 12 inches in diameter and brush oil on all of its sides. Pour the zucchini mixture into the dish and top with the rest of the oil.

3. Bake in the oven for 1 hour, or until it is set and golden brown on top. Let it cool on a rack for about 10 - 15 minutes before serving.

Note: You can substitute 1/2 lb of peeled, seeded, and diced fresh tomatoes for the same amount of zucchini.

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