April 9, 2020
Stewardship Savories- Cara’s Japanese Knotweed Quiche-
My favorite recipe in the “Enchanted Broccoli Forest Cookbook” (part of the Moosewood Cookbook Series by Mollie Katzen) is A Quiche Formula. Rather than giving you a specific quiche recipe, it gives you the tools for making your own creation. I developed recipe for Japanese Knotweed Quiche from the Quiche Formula.**
**Remember there are lots of ways to vary this recipe depending on taste and dietary restrictions and the original recipe formula does a great job at suggesting alternatives.**
Set oven to 375°F
Smoked paprika for dusting
The Crust:
My favorite quiche crust to make is from leftover roasted potatoes. Simply chop or mash the leftover roasted potatoes and press into your oiled pie plate to form a crust. Place your empty crust in the prewarmed oven to crisp up while you prep the filling. Check to make sure you are not over cooking the crust, but since the potatoes are already cooked, there is no undercooking this crust. The fillings will get layered into the crust in the following order.
The Cheese:
I like a good extra sharp cheddar to go with the flavor of the knotweed. Use about 1/4 to 1/3 pound, depending on the size of your pie plate. Either grate the cheese or cut into small cubes and sprinkle as the first layer over the crust.
The Filling:
Use the tender Japanese Knotweed shoots you collected. Wash and chop into small bite sized pieces and spread out over the cheese. If you want, you can also add some kind of protein. I used smoked turkey meat cut into cubes. Place your knotweed and protein (if used) over the cheese layer.
The Custard:
In a separate bowl, beat 3 eggs and 1 cup of milk or yogurt. For my recipe, I typically use plain Greek Whole Milk Yogurt. Pour this mixture over the top of the filling and dust the top with smoked paprika.
Bake at 375°F for 35-40 minutes, or until firm.
Note: using yogurt instead of milk tends to shorten the cooking time.
Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes, serve at any temperature and enjoy!
Did you try Cara’s Japanese Knotweed Quiche? Send us some photos!
You can read more about Japanese Knotweed, how to identify and remove on the New York Invasive Species Information Clearinghouse webpage