Spanakopita

Meal: Megafest 4.0: Dinner

Source: Kiesa: Moosewood

• 2 cups feta cheese, crumbled
• 5 eggs
• 2 tbs flour
• 3 tbs butter
• 1 cup onion, chopped
• 1 tsp basil
• salt
• pepper
• 2 cups cottage cheese
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 2 lbs spinach, fresh
• 1 lb filo dough
• 1/2 lb butter, melted

Clean, stem, and chop the spinach. Salt it lightly, and cook, adding no water, for five minutes.

Cook the onions in butter, salting lightly. When soft, combine with remaining ingredients and spinach.

Spread melted butter on a 9 x 13" baking pan. Place a strudel leaf in the pan and brush generously with butter. Keep layers of dough coming, one on top of another, brushing each with butter. When you have a pile of 8 leaves, spread on half the filling. Continue with another stack of 8 or so leaves (don't skimp on the butter), then apply the remaining filling, spreading it to the edges. Fold the excess filo down along the edges, making little tidy corners.

Pile as many more layers of filo and butter as your baking pan will accommodate. Butter the top most leaf and sprinkle with a tbs of whole anise or fennel seeds, if you have some on hand.

Bake uncovered, about 45 minutes till golden.