A Taste of Early Summer

When I told my husband that I would be baking a pie with tvorog and early seasonal greens for Russian Life, he said: “But of course! Nothing says Russia and summer better than tvorog with greens!”

Although plenty of other cultures have something similar (e.g. the Greek spanakopita and Ossetian pies with home cheese and beetroot tops, to name just two), this combination proliferates in homemade Russian cooking in the summer months, a vital part of drawn-out dacha brunches in the form of simple spreads, quick baking projects (my mother-in-law makes her version with store-bought puff pastry) and actual pies.

Although the recipe I share here has no storied family history, it is simple and flavorful and filled to the brim with the aromas of fresh herbs.