Wild Garlic and Mushroom Quiche
Spring is all about awakening our senses. After months of roots, bulbs and earthy tones our taste buds are screaming to be tickled with fresher flavours. So step forward wild garlic, with its glorious green leaves and fresh, fiery taste it’s the perfect ingredient to kick-start spring in the kitchen and on the table.
At its peak in April anyone fond of a woodland walk will have seen, and smelt, its trademark green leaves and delicate white flowers. Growing in abundance in our vegetable garden we’re using it as much as we can in our kitchen. It’s perfect added at the last minute just before serving, chopped up in salads, sprinkled on soups or added to roast meat or vegetables just before they're taken out of the oven.
This wild garlic and mushroom quiche is currently on the menu in our café, where we serve it alongside a big, seasonal salad. At home it works just as well served cold at picnics as it does fresh from the oven alongside buttery new potatoes and garden veg.
Ingredients
For the pastry:
- 8oz of plain flour (or 4oz of white and 4oz of wholemeal)
- 4oz butter (we used Flora White, this has the texture and cooking quality of lard but none of the nasty fat or animal derivative)
- 1 tsp of salt
- Cold water to mix
For the filling:
- A large handful of freshly picked wild garlic leaves
- A bunch of spring onions
- 1 large leek
- A dozen chestnut mushrooms, finely sliced
- 300ml double cream
- 150g cream cheese
- 4 freerange eggs
Method
- First make the pastry by crumbling the butter into the salted flour and then adding the water to bring the dough together. Wrap in cling film and leave to chill in the fridge for 30 mins
- In plenty of butter and olive oil , saute the chopped sping onions and leek until soft. Add the mushrooms and again saute until soft and slightly browned
- Add plenty of salt and pepper to season and then turn the heat off. Place the washed wild garlic into the pan, put the lid on and let it wilt until soft, just like spinach
- Roll out the pastry, line your quiche tin and bake blind until golden (around 20 mins on 180 degrees)
- While the pastry is cooking whisk the eggs, then add the cream and cream cheese and whisk again
- Once the pastry is cooked tip in the sautéed filling mixture, spread it out on the base and pour on the eggs and cream mix
- Bake in a hot oven (190 degrees) for 25-30 minutes until golden and risen
