Charlotte resident wins regional recipe contest

Charlotte resident Janice Elder won a trip for two to Charleston as the winner of Nature’s Greens “Show Us Your Heritage” regional recipe contest. Her winning recipe beat more than 75 entries.

Absolutely Amazing Appetizer Lattice Tart

Courtesy of Janice Elder and Nature’s Greens

1 (15-ounce) package refrigerated pie crusts

1 (1-pound) package NATURE’S GREENS™ Collards, Turnips, Mustard, or Kale

2 to 3 cups water

1/4 cup finely chopped country ham (or crisp cooked bacon)

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

1 cup ricotta cheese

1 teaspoon each salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

1 egg, separated (divided usage)

1 teaspoon water

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place oven rack at lowest position. Prepare pie crust according to package directions for a two-crust pie using a 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom (or a 9-inch pie pan).

Place 1 prepared pie crust in pan; press over bottom and up sides of pan, trimming edges as needed. Reserve.

Cook greens in water until tender; drain well in a colander, pressing firmly to remove excess liquid (very important), then blot with paper towels, again squeezing firmly. Chop coarsely.

In a mixing bowl combine well-drained greens, country ham (or bacon), Parmesan cheese, ricotta, salt, pepper, nutmeg, cayenne and egg yolk (reserve white for later use); blend well. Spread evenly into prepared pie crust, smoothing top.

To make the lattice top, cut remaining pie crust into 3/4-inch wide strips (a ruler helps). Arrange strips in a lattice design over greens mixture. Trim and seal edges.

In a small bowl, whisk together egg white and water until foamy; gently brush over the lattice crust.

Bake at 400 degrees on the lowest oven rack for about 45 minutes, or until dark golden brown. (Cover loosely with foil during the last 5 to 10 minutes of baking if needed to prevent excess browning.)

Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then remove sides of pan. Serve warm – cut into wedges to serve. Makes 10 appetizer servings.

This story was originally published February 25, 2014 at 1:02 PM.