Wild Garlic

The wild garlic season is here, the leaves have been up for a while and the flowers are just starting to come out. I love having a crop that just appears in our woods and we can use it when it's there. Then it goes and we have to wait for next year. Makes a change from all year round supplies of so many treats these days.
        Don't get me wrong, I really appreciate being able to get so many things all year, but some things just taste so much better in season.
I made the tart for lunch the other day, and the pesto was for a cookery class I gave a week or so back.
       The picture of the pesto is from a teens cookery camp I taught during the Easter break, they also made fresh pasta. That got the biggest wow! from one participant.

Wild garlic & ricotta tart

Wild garlic and ricotta tart

300g  short crust pastry

1 tub ricotta

3 eggs

125g smoked bacon bits

1 red onion sliced

bunch of wild garlic chopped

grated Parmesan to sprinkle over the top

Set the oven to 190˚C, GM 5

Line the large 23cm loose-bottomed tin with the pastry & bake blind for about 20 minutes.

Fry the bacon pieces and onion in a spoonful of oil, until the bacon starts to brown and the onion is soft. Put the onion and bacon into a bowl and add the wild garlic and the ricotta. Mix well and add the eggs and some black pepper and mix again.

Fill the pastry shell with the mixture and sprinkle grated Parmesan over the top.

Bake for about 30 minutes. Check the tart after 15 minutes to make sure the edges of the pastry aren't burning, turn down the heat to 180˚C, GM 4 if they are, or cover them with foil. Pop the plain cold shelf in if using an aga.

Test for doneness with a skewer or knife. the top will rise and go golden.Take out of the oven and leave to cool for about 5 minutes, then remove from the tin and serve with a salad.

Wild Garlic Pesto

60g wild garlic
60g pine nuts

half a tsp of salt

1tbs lemon juice
60g grated Parmesan cheese
extra virgin olive oil

Pound the wild garlic, pine nuts and salt together in a mortar or whiz in the food processor. Stir in the lemon juice and grated Parmesan. Thin the mixture with olive oil to a thick paste.

Pesto making!