Thessalian Plastos (Πλαστός)

Plastos belongs to Thessaly, especially the plain where cornmeal and greens fed working kitchens without ceremony. It is not phyllo pie. It is bobota, a rough cornmeal crust, spread thin in a tapsi, loaded with wild greens, then folded at the edges so the pie can be cut and carried by hand.

The whole dish depends on the base. Cornmeal has no patience for vagueness here: it needs enough warm water and oil to press into a firm layer, and it needs a hard hand in the pan. Leave it loose and it crumbles. Press it well and it bakes into a sturdy, golden bottom that holds the greens like it was made for the field.

Use the greens the season gives you. In spring, bitter wild horta are best. In a city kitchen, spinach, chard, sorrel, and a little leek make a good honest filling. Feta is common in the rich version; for a nistisimo table, leave out the feta and egg, add a little more olive oil, and the dish still knows its name.