Wild Green Tartlets

It?s been a grey, overcast day as you gather wild edible greens during a short walk to stretch your legs. Back home in the kitchen you want something that?s quick, delicious and warming. Well look no further than this wild green recipe. Perfect for that drizzly spring day.

I often add a small handful of wild greens such as ramsons to the flour and butter in the food processor when making the pastry.

Ingredients

For the pastry:

250g plain flour (I like to use ½ white ½ wholemeal)
½ teaspoon baking powder
125g butter
1 egg
1 tablespoon cold water

For the filling:

500g baby new potatoes
2+2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper
2 onions, peeled and finely sliced
100g wild greens, washed and finely sliced (ground elder, nettle, ramsons, bittercress, hogweed shoots, green alkanet, sorrel, stitchwort, navelwort etc.)
70g mature cheddar, grated
200g double cream
2 eggs
6 x 12cm loose-based tartlet tins

Suggested Instructions

Preheat the oven to gas mark 6 or 200ºC. par boil the potatoes for 10 minutes, drain, halve or quarter, then put in a roasting tin with 2 tablespoons oil, season with salt and pepper. Roast for 30 minutes and leave to cool.
Make the pastry by either putting the flour, baking powder and butter in a food processor and blitzing until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs, or do it by hand. Add the egg and water and pulse until the mixture just begins to clump, then remove and bring together with your hands
Divide the pastry into 6 even-sized pieces and roll out each one to fit the tins. Line the tins with the pastry and place in the fridge to chill until required.
Gently fry the onions with the remaining 2 tablespoons oil, stirring occasionally until they are really soft and gently coloured. Leave to cool.
Whisk the eggs and cream together and season with freshly ground black pepper.
Reduce the oven to gas mark 4 or 180ºC
To assemble the tartlets: divide the onions between the tins then pour over half the egg mixture. Add the potatoes, prepared greens and cheese, then pour in the remaining egg/cream.
Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until the filling is set and golden. Serve warm.

Serves: 6