Summer vegetable strudel
If you grow your own herbs – even in a windowbox – use them for this light and fresh-tasting summer vegetable strudel. Just be sure to include chives or spring onions for a touch of onion flavour to counterbalance the sweetness of the leeks. You can also mix up the choice of veg depending on what you have available, in the programme the Hairy Bikers also included sautéd cavolo nero.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 25g/1oz butter
- 300²µ/10½´Ç³ú leeks, sliced
- sprig fresh tarragon
- 300²µ/10½´Ç³ú small courgettes, sliced or diced
- 100ml/3½fl oz dry white vermouth or dry white wine
- 3 small Little Gem lettuces, cut into wedges
- 200g/7oz new potatoes, boiled whole and diced
- 300²µ/10½´Ç³ú runner beans or French beans, shredded and blanched
- 150²µ/5½´Ç³ú tomatoes, roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp snipped fresh chives, or 2–3 spring onions, finely sliced
- 2–3 tbsp mixed fresh herbs – roughly chopped tarragon leaves, chervil, basil or dill, or finely chopped summer savory, lemon thyme or oregano
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the pastry
- 270g pack filo pastry (each sheet measuring about 45x25cm/18x10in)
- plain flour, for dusting
- 75²µ/2¾´Ç³ú butter, melted
Method
Heat a tablespoon of the oil and the butter in a large frying pan over a medium heat. When the butter is foaming, add the leeks and tarragon sprig and cook for 5 minutes, stirring regularly, until lightly browned and starting to soften. Add the courgettes and cook for a couple of minutes.
Season with plenty of salt and pepper and turn up the heat. Pour in the vermouth or wine and bring to the boil. Turn down the heat and simmer until the leeks are completely tender – the courgettes should still have some bite to them. Leave to cool.
Heat a griddle pan. Coat the lettuce wedges in the remaining olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Griddle over a medium heat until lightly browned. Roughly chop and add to the leeks and courgettes.
Add the potatoes, runner beans, tomatoes and herbs to the leek mixture and gently stir through. Taste for seasoning and leave until completely cool.
Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6.
To assemble, lay one sheet of filo pastry on a lightly floured work surface, with a long side nearest you. Brush it all over with melted butter. Lay another sheet on top, leaving the bottom (nearest) third of the first sheet uncovered, and brush with more butter. Take a third sheet and lay on top – only covering the top third of the second sheet. Continue overlaying the sheets in the same pattern until you have used all the filo pastry, brushing each sheet generously with butter and sprinkling with salt every so often. You should end up with a rectangle of layered pastry sheets approximately 45x50cm/18x20in.
Spoon the filling over the middle third (the thickest part) of the pastry, leaving a 2–3cm/about 1in border on either side. Fold the bottom of the pastry over the filling, then fold in the sides and very carefully roll up. If it’s too unwieldy to roll, fold the top exposed pastry over the filling. Brush all over with melted butter and transfer to a baking tray.
Bake for 25–30 minutes until the pastry is crisp and golden brown. This is best served at room temperature.
