Rustic Calzone filled with Greens & Potato

I'm not sure about you, but winter would have to be my least favourite season for many reasons, but most of all not being able to enjoy time in the garden as much. My small vegetable patch is easy to maintain, however my parents orto has been neglected and needed some tender loving care to get it back to its original loved state and ready for spring planting. A huge clean out to also make way for a smaller and easy to access vegetable plot meant that we needed to pull out many of the silverbeet plants and dare I say far too many weeds!

This rustic calzone filled with greens and potato was a great way of using up that excess silverbeet.  Many winter soups including minestrone (on repeat) used up much of it too!  Adding any other greens to the mix such as cime di rapa or broccoli intensifies the flavours, making this calzone the prize after a hard days work in the garden.

Calzoni (plural) were traditionally made small and compact, serving as the perfect vessel for any filling and synonymous with eating on the go. They were known to be enjoyed for lunch during the short pause from working in the fields. Nowadays, they are also made larger for family lunches. 

The casing is made with my favourite olive oil pastry which I have shared with you in other posts and with my IG friends. As mentioned, any desired filling of choice can be used and experimenting is a must. This recipe happens to also be vegan.

Rustic Calzone filled with Greens & Potato

Quantities makes one large or two smaller calzone.

Ingredients

For olive oil pastry crust:

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

¼ cup olive oil

1 cup of cold water

For the filling:

1 spring onion finely sliced

1 clove garlic, minced

5 tbsp olive oil

500 g fresh chard or spinach, washed thoroughly and chopped

2 peeled and diced desire potatoes

salt and pepper to taste

chili flakes if desired

olive oil to brush surface of calzone

sesame seeds to sprinkle over if desired

Pre-heat fan forced oven at 200°C (390°F).

Sift the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl and create a well.  Add the oil and water to the flour.  With a fork stir the flour into the wet ingredients until all combined. Now use your hands and knead until the pastry comes together.  Use spoonful of water if the mixture is still too crumbly. Work the dough into a ball, cover with a bowl and allow to rest for at least 30 minutes while you prep the other ingredients for the filling.

Peel and finely dice two desire potatoes and set aside. Thoroughly wash the silverbeet or any leafy greens of choice and roughly chop. Finely slice the spring onion and mince the garlic.

Heat 5 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan with the minced garlic and finely sliced spring onion. Don’t let the garlic burn nor the oil smoke. Add the washed (but not completely drained) chopped silverbeet or spinach to the pan and the diced potatoes. Saute` and cover with lid until greens have wilted and most of the liquid has evaporated, and the potatoes are slightly tender.  Don't worry if the potatoes have not fully cooked through as the rest of the steaming will take place in the calzone. Season to taste and allow to cool completely before assembling. 

Line a large baking tray with grease proof paper.

On a floured surface roll out the dough thinly (2 mm thick) into a rough disc shape.  Carefully place the cooked and cooled ingredients onto one side of the disc, allowing a 2 cm edge clearance. Brush some water around the perimeter of the disk and fold over.  Press the edges to ensure a tight seal. Then with your fingers, turn the edges over or use the fork fronds an press down.

Transfer calzone to baking tray and brush the dough surface with a little oil and sprinkle some sesame seeds on top. 

Bake in a hot fan forced oven for approximately 25-30 minutes, or until golden.

Allow the calzone to cool slightly before slicing.  Serve warm or cold with a glass or two of wine.

Enjoy!