Seasonal food of the month – what to bake this April to reduce carbon emissions

It’s April and the cherry blossom trees are not the only ones thriving! As days are getting longer and the wind is slowly getting milder, a variety of new fruits and vegetables are arriving in our supermarkets. Artichokes, asparagus, broccoli, fennel, bear garlic, rhubarb and strawberries are only some of the seasonal fruits and vegetables you should try this month. 

For this month’s edition of recipes made of local and seasonal produce, I prepared two very special dishes for you: they are both inspired from my grandma’s secret cookbook – only that I gave them my own twist to make them even more delicious. So, why don’t you try to bake this asparagus-quiche or rhubarb crumble today – instead of spending another day of self-isolation just watching Netflix? I promise the meal you can serve your roommates or family afterwards will be worth your while. (By the way, you can check out last month’s recipe here and also read up on the backgrounds of why eating seasonal will immensely cut your carbon emissions. 

Asparagus-quiche – seasonal and vegetarian variation of an all-time favorite

Of course, quiche is delicious all year long but believe me: you want to try this one. Admittedly, making this recipe will take a little bit longer, but once you are done you will have more slices than you can eat in one day. Why don’t you prepare something to treat yourself on the weekend?

Keep reading to find out what you will need and how to make this delicious meal. 

Ingredients:

Dough base:

• 250 g flour (really good with wholegrain or spelt flour as well)
• 125 g cold butter
• 1 egg 
• 1 tsp salt

Filling: 

• 700 g green asparagus
• 250 g crème fraiche 
• 4 eggs
• 100 g parmesan
• A handful of bear’s garlic (chopped)
• 1.5 tsp of salt
• 0.5 tsp of pepper
• 0.5 tsp of nutmeg
• 1 tbsp Olive oil

Step-by-step guide:

First, you simply need to add all the ingredients for the dough together and knead it with your washed (!) hands. Now, you can already put it in the fridge to rest while you prepare the filling. Also, preheat the oven to 200°C with circulating air. 

To make the filling, you have to start peeling the asparagus and cut off the bottom end of each. After that, chop the remainders into approximately 2 cm long pieces and place them into a big bowl. 

Next, add all the wet ingredients together with the spices. After that, I went into my backyard to get some fresh bear’s garlic. Whether you use home-grown herbs or not, don’t forget to wash them before you chop them and put them into the bowl as well. Finally, grate the parmesan into the bowl and mix it all together. 

To prepare the baking pan, spread olive oil inside of it, so that the quiche won’t stick to the pan afterwards. Next, take the dough out of your fridge and evenly cover the bottom and the sides of the pan with it to make the base. Before you add the filling, take a fork and poke the dough on the bottom a couple of times. I don’t exactly know why you do this, but my grandma always reminded me of this step and my quiche always turned out perfect afterward. 

Lastly, simply pour the filling inside and make sure it is evenly distributed in the pan. Bake the quiche in the oven for 40-45 minutes. After 20 minutes, you want to cover it with aluminum foil to prevent it from burning at the top. Afterward, you are finally ready to serve it (with a nice salad maybe?). Enjoy!

There is nothing like (rhubarb) crumble!

You have to know that I absolutely love crumbles of all sorts: berries, apples and my favourite for springtime rhubarb. However, I am extremely picky when it comes to crumble recipes. The ratio of fruit and dough has to be perfect and it should be fruity, not sweet. This recipe, on the other hand, has it all: crispy on top, gooey inside and just the right amount of cinnamon. Keep reading to find out how to make this delicious dessert. 

Ingredients:

For the dough: 

• 300 g flour
• 200 g almonds (only for rhubarb crumble, otherwise use more flour instead)
• 1 package of baking powder
• 200 g sugar
• 1 package of vanilla sugar
• 1 tsp of cinnamon 
• 1 egg or flax egg if you are vegan (find out how to make it here)
• 250 g butter or margarine (vegan option again)

For the fruity filling: 

• 900 g of rhubarb (finely chopped) 
• 90 g of sugar

Step-by-step guide: 

To start off, mix all the ingredients for the dough together and don’t (I cannot emphasize this enough) forget to add a pinch of salt as well. Then, with a hand mixer, turn the ingredients into crumbles. Don’t forget to already preheat the oven at this point (160°C with circulating air)!

Next, you want to get a clean baking tray and grease it with some butter or margarine. Take half of the dough and form it into a base with your hands covering the entire tray. 

Now, you can start preparing the fruity filling. Wash the rhubarb thoroughly and chop into very thin pieces. After that, place it into a large bowl and mix it with the sugar and some more cinnamon if you like. Pour the fruity mix on the pan as well and spread it out evenly.

Lastly, you can sprinkle the crumbles on top of your masterpiece (I prefer larger crumbles, but you can make smaller ones as well). Once you are done, place the baking tray into the oven and bake it for 45 minutes. 

You want to serve this delicious treat while it is still warm – and maybe combine it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream? And voila, your effortless and perfect spring dessert for the family dinner is done. 

We want your feedback!

Did you try any of our recipes yet? Feel free to send us a picture of your creation to goodwill@cirosthehague.com and let us know if you liked our recipe. In the end, we are always happy to receive feedback to improve our little blog. Are you still bored and in self-isolation (just less hungry)? You can also check out some of our previous posts to either learn how to make cool DIYs from trash or contribute to your local communities during this global pandemic. But the most important thing is that you stay safe and stay home so that we will see you all again – healthy and full of energy – in September!

An article written by Lara Schade, Goodwill Commissioner