“Weed” Quiche
Lambsquarters and Mushroom Quiche
It’s not what you think. Not that “weed”. I am referring to lambsquarters. I am a big fan of wild edibles and one of my favorites is lambsquarters. This hardy plant often grows where ground has been cultivated. It is a common plant in both vegetable and flower gardens.
Many people pull out this “weed”, never knowing how tasty it is. When cooked, lambsquarters tastes just like spinach. Unlike spinach, which goes to seed as soon as the warm weather arrives, lambsquarters thrive all season long. If you have lambsquarters growing in your yard, rather then tossing them in the compost pile, you might want to eat them.
There is a picture of lambsquarters at the bottom of this post- so you can see what I am talking about.
For a lunch with some friends, I made this quiche. I used lambsquarters. I also added baby portobello mushrooms, caramelized onions, Swiss cheese, fresh basil, parsley and dill and some Marsala wine. The end was result was so good.
Lambsquarters and Mushroom Quiche
1 unbaked pie crust – store bought or homemade
1 T. butter
1 onion, chopped
8 oz. baby bella mushrooms, washed and sliced
¼ c. Marsala wine
1 T. each fresh chopped parsley, basil and dill
4-5 c. fresh lambsquarters leaves, washed and steamed until wilted and chopped
8 oz. shredded Swiss cheese
2 T. flour
3 eggs
1 c. milk or half and half
Salt and pepper to taste
Hot sauce to taste
Place crust in a 9-inch deep dish pan. Set aside. Heat oil in skillet and cook onion until golden. Add mushrooms and cook until mushrooms are a little golden, too. Add wine and herbs and cook until liquid is evaporated. Set aside. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss 2 cups of the cheese with the flour and place in pie crust. Add the onion mixture and lambsquarters. Combine eggs with milk and seasonings, beat until smooth and pour over the ingredients in the pie crust. Top with remaining cheese. Place on a baking sheet and bake 45 minutes to an hour. Check quiche for doneness by inserting a knife off center. If it is clean, quiche is done. Makes 1.
