Vegetable Phyllo Tart

I am inspired by all vegetables.  Their colors and funky shapes just make me happy.  A few weeks ago, I saw Ina on the Food Network make a spinach pie with phyllo dough.  Now, I have no doubt that it was delicious (although I'm sure that if you followed her recipe exactly, your blood pressure would be through the roof following your meal, and you'd be reaching for glass upon glass of water to quell the saltiness in your mouth), but just spinach?  That's just boring (and don't get me wrong, I loove spinach, but to make just a green pie, come on, let's get a little more inventive).  Therefore, I took her phyllo pie idea and jazzed it up a bit.  I went to the grocery store without a clear plan (this always makes shopping more fun!) and just let myself be lured in by the sexiest veggies.  Immediately, Madame Swiss Chard with her bright red stalks caught my eye.  Then, I saw Mr. Sweet Potato, lying on his orange side, his potato eye winking at me seductively.  And then, from a distance, I felt myself pulled towards the the little button mushrooms, their tops smooth and round like pearls.  I had my ingredients.  And this was going to be one well-dressed pie.

I apologize that the following recipe is very much a series of approximations.  While this pie turned out deliciously, any combination of vegetables would have been divine, and I invite you to go to your grocery store and be inspired by whatever catches your eye!

Ingredients:

• two bunches of red swiss chard, stems and leaves chopped but kept separate
• 1 red onion, chopped
• paprika, turmeric, and cayenne, to taste
• 1 large sweet potato, cut into small cubes
• 1 pound small white mushrooms, cut in fourths
• shredded Pecorino Romano cheese (I'm sure a sharp parmesan would work too!)
• salt and pepper
• 8 sheets of spelt phyllo pastry dough (the spelt flour dough has a much more interesting taste than the regular dough!)
• several tbsp melted butter or olive oil or a mix (I did a mix)

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. In a medium bowl, toss the sweet potato cubes with some olive oil, salt, and pepper to coat them well.  Then, spread the cubes out on a baking sheet.  Bake for 20 or so minutes (depending on how big your cubes are) until they are softened and a little brown/caramelized.  Don't let them get too mushy.
3. When the sweet potatoes are cooked, set them aside.
4. In a large pot on medium heat, cook your onion with olive oil for a few minutes until soft.  Stir frequently lest the onion burn!
5. Add in the swiss chard stems.  Cook on medium heat for 5 minutes until they are almost tender.
6. Add in the swiss chard leaves, paprika, turmeric, and cayenne to taste.  Cook, stirring frequently, until wilted and soft, about another 5 more minutes.  Adjust seasonings if necessary.
7. When the swiss chard is cooked, turn off the stove and set aside.
8. In a wide pan, add some butter, olive oil, or a combination.  Add in half the mushrooms.  Cook for 5 or so minutes, turning occasionally, until they are nice and browned.  Remove the mushrooms from the pan and set aside.  Add in a little more butter/oil and the other half of the mushrooms.  Cook this half like you did the first.
9. When the mushrooms are cooked, turn off the stove and set aside the mushrooms with the first batch.
10. Lightly butter a 9 inch round cake pan. 
11. On a clean, flat surface, lay out your first sheet of phyllo.  Brush liberally with melted butter/oil.  Lay the next sheet on top of the first.  Then, brush the top with melted butter/oil.  Repeat until you have stacked all 8 sheets.
12. Carefully lay the phyllo stack in the buttered cake pan and adjust it gently so that it is touching all the sides.  There will be a good amount of phyllo dough hanging over the edges.
13. In the phyllo, lay down half of the swiss chard.  Sprinkle the top with Romano to your liking.
14. Add on the top half of the sweet potato and half of the mushrooms.
15. Lay on top the rest of the swiss chard.  Sprinkle again with Romano.
16. Add on the top the rest of the sweet potato and mushrooms.
17. Carefully take the sides of the phyllo hanging over the edges of the pan and fold them over the contents of the pie...like wrapping a present!
18. Brush the top of the phyllo with melted butter.
19. Cook in the oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for about 30 minutes until golden brown.
20. Enjoy your veggies in style!

A big present of veggies, all wrapped up and waiting to be opened!

All I can say is: swoon.  Look at those colors, those textures, yumm.  And isn't phyllo fun?  Look at how flaky it is!

Piece number one.  Went back for pieces number two and three soon after.

This pie disappears too quickly...but I did save some for lunch the next day...just popped it back in the oven for a few minutes to crisp up the phyllo, and it was good to go!