Wild Dandelion Quiche

I love, love, love foraging for wild greens from spring til fall. It makes my heart so happy to hunt for backyard edibles, then use them in delicious recipes that unknowing tasters think are delicious. It’s like fermentation or bread baking for me— I get on a foraging kick and just can’t stop!

My yard is currently a feast of dandelions. (One of my favorite early edibles!) Dandelions + egg surplus+ a foraging mama/daughter team= dandelion quiche, of course.

Little V and I set on a trek about the yard and gathered up many dandelion heads for dinner. We also gathered up a small assortment of violet greens, plantain leaves, chives, and hosta leaves to fill out our bowl. (These additions are totally optional.) After collecting a packed cup full of foraged goodies, my two- year old took the opportunity to use the colander properly:

It makes a very fashionable hat, don’t you think?

A note on foraging: Make sure you only take what you need, get permission if you’re on someone else’s property, and be sure that no pesticides/weed killers/etc. have been sprayed in the area you are collecting from. And ALWAYS make sure you’ve properly identified a plant before eating it. (Thankfully, dandelions are pretty easy! 😉 ) Here’s a great article on foraging ethics that you should definitely read if you’re new to foraging.

On to the quiche! Here’s what you need:

Single pie crust (You can try my lovely lard pie crust– make half now and freeze the other half for later use. Or use your own favorite recipe!)
Bacon grease or butter
1 green onion, chopped
1 C packed dandelions and additional greens (optional), chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt & pepper
8 eggs, beated
3/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cup shredded cheese- i used half mozzerella, half cheddar

Gather up dandelions! I took just the heads for this recipe, though you are welcome to use the greens if you feel so led. Just be forewarned that they can be quite bitter later in the season. Wash ’em up and prepare all your ingredients.

Make your crust recipe of choice. Roll it out, lay it in a 9″ pie pan, poke a couple holes in it with a fork, and bake it at 425 for about 6 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat bacon grease or butter in a skillet. Add green onion, dandelions, garlic, and salt and pepper. Cook for just a couple minutes, or until greens are wilted.

Beat eggs, milk, and additional salt together in a large bowl. Stir in cheeses and dandelion mixture.

Pour egg mixture into hot pie crust. Lower the oven temperature to 400 and bake for about 30 minutes, or until set. A sharp knife inserted into the center of the quiche should come out clean.

My kids were suspicious of this quiche at first, but both ate healthy servings, my son exclaiming all the while that it was “really good!” My husband ate nearly a whole piece before knowing what was in it- though he enjoys foraged food just as much as I do.

If you make it, let me know how you like it!

For other delicious ideas, try these posts: