Wild Garlic, Quinoa, and Cauliflower Cakes

This recipe makes a really nice light dinner, and is particularly good on those long spring days as we move into summer. These cakes are a really nice combination of lots of ingredients which make them really delicious and everyone coming back for more. This is my take on these cakes inspired by The Green Kitchen.

Wild Garlic, Quinoa and Cauliflower Cakes (v)(gf)
Makes 6 cakes

You will need:
100g/½ cup of quinoa
100g/1 cup of cauliflower florets blitzed in a magimix until you have a rice like texture.
Large handful of wild garlic, washed, dried and coarsely chopped.
2 eggs
100g/¾ cup of feta cheese, crumbled
50g/½ cup of rolled oats (use gluten free to make sure the recipe is gluten free if you desire)
grated rind and juice of 1 lemon
small handful of chopped flat leaf parsley
sea salt and cracked black pepper
1 tbsp ghee, coconut oil or olive oil for frying

Cook the quinoa--place the quinoa in a pan and cover with about double the amount of water and add a bit of salt. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer until the quinoa is tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed, about 15 minutes. Drain any excess liquid, and set the quinoa aside to cool.

Tip all your remaining ingredients into a large bowl, and add the quinoa once cooled. Stir well and place in the fridge to firm up a bit. If you find the mix too wet to shape into patties, add a few more oats.

Form into 6 patties with your hands, or use a mousse ring. I found it easier to use this as a sort of mould as the mixture can be a little bit wet. Heat the ghee or oil in a frying pan on a medium-high heat and fry the patties gently for about 3-4 minutes on each side. You want a nice golden brown on each side.
















Serve warm or cold, with a fresh salad. I served mine with a fresh basil, roasted tomato and fresh tomato salad, it was delicious.

April Harvest--Wild Garlic Pesto

This post is all about my latest harvest, wild garlic! Wild garlic, also known as ramsons or buckrams, is in season from early March to the end of May. It grows abundantly where I live, and so it was only natural for me to forage some while I was out on my walk. It has these beautiful little white flowers when they have bloomed, and so if you look out for those and the strong smell of garlic you might find some in your woods.

It's such a lovely ingredient to cook with as it works well in many different things. It has a subtle taste of garlic and is not too overwhelming. It definitely doesn't leave you with a garlic taste in your mouth all day...

It is lovely in an omelette, as a soup, a pesto, or even using the leaves as salad leaves. The first thing I made with it was some pesto, which keeps extremely well in the fridge for about a week. It also freezes very well. It's a great way to use up the wild garlic and then toss the pesto on some pasta, courgetti, or even as a side dish tossed over some warmed butter beans. I also used the wild garlic in some quinoa, cauliflower patties which was delicious for dinner (recipe to follow next...)















Below is my recipe for the pesto. If you leave out the parmesan it becomes vegan, and tastes incredible just like that, but for those that love the taste of parmesan simply add that in when you're making it.

Wild Garlic Pesto (v)(gf)
You will need:
100g pine nuts
100g wild garlic (large bunch)
4-5 tbsp olive oil
juice of 2 lemons
Salt and Pepper to taste
40g parmesan (optional)

Simply add all ingredients to a food processor and pulse until it all comes together. Taste and adjust the seasoning. If the consistency is too thick, add some water or a little more lemon juice. This is a very simple recipe, and should be used as a guide. Not all lemons are the same size or give the same amount of juice and some wild garlic will be more pungent than others, so taste and adjust to your liking!

Pour into a bowl or some jars and keep in the fridge for about a week. Alternatively you can freeze it in a little pot and defrost when you want to use it. This recipe makes about two little jars full.