Cretan Zucchini and Potato Pie (Haniotiko Boureki) GreekFoodTv☼

Cretan Zucchini and Potato Pie is hearty, easy, healthy regional fare. Press the more button to see recipe.

Cretan Zucchini-Potato Pie (Haniotiko Boureki)

8-10 servings

2 pounds /900 g. zucchini, cut into ¼-inch (0,6 cm) thick rounds
Salt
¼ cup/60 ml olive oil plus more for the pan
¼ cup all-purpose flour, or more, as needed
5 large potatoes, peeled and cut into ¼-inch/0,06 cm rounds
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 heaping tsp. dried mint
2 cups Cretan xynomyzithra cheese or 1 cup feta, crumbled mixed with 1 cup anthotyro cheese or ricotta salata

7. Prepare the zucchini: Layer the zucchini in a colander and salt each layer lightly. Press the zucchini down in the colander with the cover of a pot and let it drain for 30 minutes. Rinse and --pat dry with a lint-free towel.
8. Cover the bottom of a 15-inch round pan that is 2 inches deep (38x5 cm) or a 12x15x2-inch rectangular pan (30x38x5 cm) (or even a skillet) with olive oil. Preheat the oven to 375˚F/190˚C.
9. Pour the ¼ cup flour into a large, shallow dish and mix with a little salt. Dredge the potatoes in flour. Cover the bottom of the pan with a single layer of potatoes, starting from the rim and working toward the center, overlapping the slices a little, and season lightly with salt and pepper.
10. Toss a handful of the zucchini in the flour to dredge as well, tapping off any excess. Strew a layer of flour-tossed zucchini on top. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with some mint.
11. Dot generously with half the cheese, season with pepper, and sprinkle with some mint. Dredge the remaining potatoes and zucchini, adding a little more flour if necessary, and repeat the layering and seasoning, until all ingredients are used up.
12. Press down on the top a bit. Drizzle about ¼ cup of olive oil over the top and bake until golden, about 45 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool for at least 15 minutes before serving.

The Cretan Diet has a wealth of amazing vegetable dishes. This is one of the classics of Cretan summer cooking, easy to make with ingredients you can find at your local supermarket.
Come to visit Diane and Vassili at their GLORIOUS GREEK KITCHEN COOKING SCHOOL (Ikaria). They run cooking classes and organize culinary tours in Greece for recreational and professional cooks. They also own DV FOOD ARTS CONSULTING, a food marketing company that produces specialty books and other food-and-wine-related literature for a wide variety of clients and independently for the tourist and other markets. Diane consults on Greek cuisine for restaurants, retail outlets and producers of fine Greek foods. Vassilis Stenos (photographer) offers an extensive archive of food and travel photographs of Greece.

Diane Kochilas is an internationally known food writer, cookbook author, culinary teacher, food consultant and food "guru". She has more than 20 years' experience in the Greek kitchen. Diane divides her time between Athens, Ikaria, and New York. She is the consulting chef at Pylos, one of New York's top-rated Greek restaurants as well as consulting chef at Avli Restaurant in Chicago. She writes frequently for the US food press and appears regularly on American television. Her articles have appeared in The New York Times, Gourmet, Saveur, Food & Wine, Eating Well and in other food and general-interest publications. In Athens, she is the weekly food columnist and restaurant critic for Ta Nea, the country's largest newspaper. She has written 19 books on Greek and Mediterranean cuisine, including the award-winning The Glorious Foods of Greece. Her books include: The Food and Wine of Greece, The Greek Vegetarian, The Glorious Foods of Greece, Meze, Against the Grain (good carbs), Mediterranean Grilling, Mastiha Cuisine, The Northern Greek Wine Roads Cookbook, and Aegean Cuisine (see below).