Ramp and Gruyere Quiche Recipe

Typically we venture up north in Michigan and spend a couple weekends before spring breaks into summer but this year is different due to the stay home orders. I know that we will be able to head back north soon but for now I will not be able to visit my normal foraging spots for ramps. We grabbed a couple handfuls each spring to make pesto and ramp pickles but this year I was lucky enough to find a forager that was going to the sweet water farmers market drive thru pick up. for $5 I was able to buy a decent size bundle of wild ramps.

A ramp is a type of wild onion. It cannot be grown it is foraged. They grow in clusters so it’s important when you forage to take only 10% from each cluster so they continue to come back year after year.  They will smell of heavy garlic when pulled. For more details on how to forage visit here.

With my small bunch of ramps and leftover gruyere cheese I made one of the best quiches. ( I know I say that every time) we LOVE quiche here and I think it’s because it’s so interchangeable. No cream? use milk. No milk? Use sour cream. No sour cream? Try plain greek yogurt. The texture of the quiche will change with each type of dairy but it still acts as a holding ingredient.

I used heavy cream (hey it was Easter) for this recipe and it came out so fluffy and delicious. Heavy cream… just makes things good. It’s like butter. Just meant to be good.

For this recipe you will need:

• 1 bunch of ramps with the white bulbs chopped up and the greens separated. (Ramp Substitute: green onions would work great!)
• 1.5 cup of shredded gruyere cheese (any meltable nutty cheese would be great like a swiss)
• 1.5 cup of heavy cream
• 1 pre-made pie crust
• salt and pepper
• 4 large eggs
• 1 tbsp butter
• pinch of nutmeg

Preheat the oven to 375F and line a deep pie pan with the pie crust.

In a skillet melt the butter and and sizzle the white bulbs until slightly brown. Add in the green leaves of the ramps until wilted.

In a bowl whisk the eggs, nutmeg, salt and pepper, and heavy cream together.

Place half the ramps and cheese in the pie pan, cover with the egg mixture and top with the remaining cheese and ramps.

Bake at 375 for 40 minutes. I used my breville oven which tends to bake things on the faster side and I pulled mine out at 35 minutes. Let it rest for about 10 minutes before serving.

Full disclosure Joe and I ate half the pie for breakfast.

Enjoy and happy foraging if you can!

Recipe inspired by Nerds with Knives