Sweet and Savoury Fig and Feta Tart

There are occasions when opposite flavours can be successfully matched together. Cheese paired with sweet fruit or marmelade, cheesecake with berries are heavenly marriages. For everyone who savours a sweet and savoury taste mixing in the mouth here is a tart that is weighing its options whether to fall into the sweet or savoury category or stay balanced in the middle.

Sweet and Savoury Fig and Feta Tart
Ingredients

The dough:
200g butter
100g sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
2 eggs (S/ 53g)
250g darker plain four (Germam: Halbweissmehl)

Baking beans

Filling:
200g feta cheese, crumbled
3 tbsp soft honey
a pinch of herbes de Provance (optional)
8-10 ripe figs, cut into 8 sectors

Whisk the butter with salt, sugar (and vanilla) until smooth. Combine the eggs and then sift in the flour.
Quickly mix everything into a smooth dough. Wrap the dough ball into a plastic bag and refrigerate for 1-2 hours.

Set the oven to 180 degrees Celsius (370 F). Prepare a tart tin either with baking paper or butter it well and flour it lightly.

Roll the dough to 5-6 mm thickness and transfer into the tin covering all sides. Cut off the excess dough.
Place a sheet of aluminium foil or baking paper on the dough and the baking beans on it.
Bake for 12-15 minutes.

Mix the crumbled feta cheese with honey. Prepare the figs.

Take the dough out of the oven, remove the beans and the foil.

Spread the feta and honey mixture on the dough. Sprinkle with the herbs de Provance if you choose to use them.

Arrange the figs on top of the feta. Drizzle a little honey on the figs.

Bake for 30-40 minutes until the dough turns brown on the edges.

 

More goat cheese and fruit recipes:
Fresh figs with feta cheese
Bruschettas with goat cheese, persimmon and pear

Food from the forest: Wild berry loaf cake with ricotta and lingonberries

Lingonberries, Ger:Preiselbeere, Est: Pohlad

Lingonberries from Estonian forests

The berries in the picture are wild lingonberries. They grow in forests in Estonia and other northern European countries. I haven´t been to the Finnish forests however judging by the amount of lingonberry recipes in Finnish cookbooks I know that the neigbours in the north have the wild berries close to their hearts too.

Lingonberries are Preiselbeere in German. Sometimes they are mistaken for cranberries, indeed both are red, but these are two different species and they grow in different soil.



Lingonberries and cranberries are different spieces.

This year it has been a generous lingonberry year. Recently I described the special berry or mushroom places, a sort of special knowledge passed on from generation to generation or between the enthusiasts sharing the passion for food from the forest. During my latest trip to Estonia I discovered that my sister had recorded a new route, a "Lingonberry Place 2", in the GPS. Evem though it was already rather late in the season, the place was red with lingonberries. Just find the plumpest berries and "rake" them together following the first principle of choose the best of the best, the the best of of the worst and then everything else.

I was driving around in south Estonia and couldn't help but notice how the places had changed because the public government owned forest areas got a clean-up or the privately owned forests get felled and probably became an export article. This is leaving an impact on the foraging places.

Wild lingonberry ricotta loaf cake

Ingredients

3 large eggs, the 73g+ ones or 4 smaller eggs

200g brown sugar

220g ricotta
0.5 tsp vanilla extract

90g butter, melted and cooled

250g flour (half dark weat four is what I used)

20g baking powder

2 handful (ca 2 dl) fresh or frozen lingonberries, or more or less to your taste

Powder sugar (optional)

 

Instructions:

1. Set the oven to 170 degrees Celsius (340 F)

2. Keep the eggs at room temperature.

3. Beat the eggs and sugar into a thick foam.

4. Add ricotta and vanilla extract and beat again until smooth.

5. Pour the cooled down melted butter into the mixture.

6. Mix the baking powder with the flour and sieve the flour into the dough.

7. Lastly, add the lingonberries, mix briefly.

8. Fit a loaf baking form with baking paper and pour the dough into the form.

9. Bake for 50-60 minutes until the dough does not stick to the knife or match stick when piercing it to check doneness.

10. Take out onto the cooling rack. When the cake has cooled, decorate with powder sugar.
 

The lingonberries can be replaced by wild or industrially grown blueberries or black currants.

For more wild berry recipes see:
Wild blueberry and ricotta "boats"
Wild blueberry soup with fluffy semolina pudding
Cranberry dessert - pink semolina

Food from the forest: wild blueberry and ricotta "boats"

Freshly baked pastry out of the oven, a cup of coffee... that´s the kind of morning I like.



July and August is the wild blueberry season in the north of Europe. Lots of people take the opportunity to wander into the forest. I was reading how one of the Finnish Government ministers was motivating people to go and pick wild berries. He said that the Finnish forests are full of these berries, the problem is to get them out of there as food for people. He couldn´t be more right, same goes for Estonia.

The wild blueberries, or any other wild berries for that matter, are full of top antioxidants you can´t buy in any pharmacy, and besides the nutritional benefits I can say with confidence that the taste is just uncomparably top of the world. There is nothing more "Eco" or "Bio" than these berries that have grown without any drop of forced irrigation and the journey from picking it to the mouth is a couple of seconds long. Eat as much as you can. And when you get tired you can sit down on the soft moss and reach out for more like a panda bear.

Now then. Following the neigbour country´s minister´s call we grabbed our "baskets" and made our way to the forest that we know has been a good place for blueberries.
The thing is that the good places for any forest crop are more or less kept secret among a close circle of family and friends. By the forest crops I mean berries like wild blueberries, red lingonberries, yellow cloud berries, chanterelle or other mushrooms. Cloud berries are more available in Finnland,  further north from Estonia. Or perhaps we don´t know the right places.

There is plenty of time to let all sorts of thoughts fly through the head when foraging in a forest. I was contemplating that there is even a special word for a small basket in the Estonian language. It is called "marjakorv", meaning simply a berry basket. In the past, I mean in the centuries before the 21st, it was customary to pick the wild berries into a nice basket. The modern times provide more comfort and more practical materials like plastic. Especially the wild blueberries have a habit of leaving stains and it is pretty hard to wash a basket. Whatever the container may be that carries home the sun warm juicy berries, the result of your hard work of bending your back a hundred times, the berries are worth the sweat.

The cultivated blueberries have a much longer season and can be used instead of the wild ones. Nothing complicated. Here is how it goes.

Wild Blueberry and ricotta "boats"
Ingredients for 6 bigger portions
200g ricotta
2tbsp sugar
1 egg yolk
1 egg white, beaten hard
500g puff pastry, yeast based if available

The cuts in the puff pastry makes it rise at the edges, blueberry-ricotta filling

Instructions:
1. Roll the dough into a 5mm thick layer. Cut into suitable size rectangles.
2. With a sharp knife cut into half the thickness of the dough on all sides, circa 1cm from the edges. This will make the edges rise nicely during baking and keep the filling in the "boats".
3. Mix ricotta, egg yolk, sugar.
4. Separately beat the egg white until hard.
5. Add the egg white to the ricotta mix and combine lightly.
6. Spread a good tablespoon of the ricotta mixture on each "boat", leave the cut edges free from the filling.
7.Place a handful of fresh wild blueberries onto each boat.
8. Bake in the middle of the oven for ca. 20 minutes until the dough has taken on a light brown colour and feels cooked. Tapping lightly on the dough and if it feels crisp is a good sign.

Blueberry Ricotta pastry "boats"

More wild blueberry recipes:
Sweet wild blueberry soup with fluffy semolina dessert
Wild blueberry ricotta cake
Wild blueberry - banana smoothie

1st of August Weggli on the Swiss National Day

1st of August is the Swiss National Day to commemorate the formation of Switzerland in 1291. People can happily enjoy this day as a public holiday surprisingly recently, only since 1994.

Go and pick the flowers fresh from the field yourself, trust in a Swiss way.

The weather has been on our side today, temperatures reaching 30Celsius (86F).
To start the festivities we thought it appropriate to go and pick some gladiolas from the self-service flower field nearby. One picks as many sun flowers, gladiolas, lilies ... or tulips in spring for that matter ... and leaves the right amount of francs in a box at the edge of the field.

It is a tradition that the farmers in the Alps have a brunch on the 1st of August. The same tradition has been brought to the city at the main Cathedral square. Anyone who wishes to climb the the stairs to the Cathedral tower can tank some Swiss energy before or after from a brunch in the morning or a typical Bratwurst throughout the day.

A recycling point for the glasses or plates in the refreshment tent

1st August Weggen, delicious buns

For sure the 1st August Weggli is a must on this day. It is a special soft and buttery bun with a cross cut into it on top and a small Swiss flag. It is simple but actually tastes pretty delicious. And the smell of this small bread is such as wanting to stick my nose into it and take a deep healing breath...or two...before biting into it.I have a bit of a freak flag on breads. 2013 is my year of experimenting with sourdough, but that' a story for another time.

Visitors queueing in front of the Bundeshaus

The Swiss Parliament, the Bundeshaus, is open on this national holiday for anyone who wants to take a peek at the magnificent building, walk in its corridors of power or sit in one of the two halls. On the 1st of August the Swiss chocolate masters are presenting a sweet surprise to the visitors of the Bundeshaus.

The scenic place where Switzerland was "born"

One for all and all for one says the ceiling

A view from a Parliament window opens to the public pool of the Swiss capital

A rather small and modest cafe in the Parliament building in Bern

There are circa 40 chocolates to choose from, a gift from the Swiss choclatiers

There are various celebrations throughout the day everywhere. The cream on the top of the celebration is the fireworks at night, in 6 scenes and the spectacle goes on for about 20 minutes. I believe it is now sponsored by some of the big companies as nowadays it is pretty hard to organise fireworks for the tax payers´ hard earned money.
The most memorable sight is the smiley design at the very end. Everyone will rember that with a somile on their own face. Unfortunately it was impossible to hit the button on my camera at the right moment to capture that smiley.

1st August Fireworks in Bern 2013

1. August Feuerwerk, Bern 2013

Refreshing mojito, alcohol free

A top rank alcohol free cocktail with green lime and peppermint leaves

The best friends are those who you can just go and knock on their door without arranging the visit for weeks ahead. Sure, sometimes it is useful to plan ahead, but the possibility to drop by a friend´s house after a long day on your feet adds something precious to life´s course.

On one of these hot summer days we landed at our friend M´s place. A man of style. I always have a tingling sense of excitement somewhere inside in anticipation to be treated to a heart throbbing cafe latte, a piece of fine salmon and dill quiche, a piquant plate of pasta, something new, gravitating towards decadence.

This time the welcome rolled into a thirst quenching cocktail that swept the tiredness from our swollen feet and put back the briskness into the sweating mind.

Alcohol-free mojito
Ingredients for 1 cocktail:
Juice of 1 lime (the green one)
1 Tbsp brown sugar
A handful of crushed ice
0.5-1dl cranberry juice
2dl soda water
Fresh peppermint leaves

Squeeze the juice of one lime into a long glass, drop the rest of the lime into the glass too. Add sugar and peppermint leaves and give them a squeeze with a wooden cocktail stick to dissolve the sugar and release the peppermint flavour. Crush the ice with a blender or if no such appliance is near, wrap the ice cubes into a clean kitchen towel and beat the ice with an empty pan for a few times.
Add cranberry juice and soda water.

Serve with a straw.

Spinach, Feta cheese and peppermint pies

Spinach, Feta cheese and fresh peppermint pies

The inspiration to use fresh peppermint in new combinations recently has been ignited by my friends whose garden produces this herb half wildly in massive quantities and a Middle Eastern stand at the farmers´ market that has very generous bunches of Moroccan peppermint.

The minty avocado and new potato salad was a refreshing green light meal a few days ago and chilled cucumber and strawberry soup  was seasoned with fresh peppermint leaves.

Something quick and easy today for a light supper or an idea for an apero table.

Spinach, Feta Cheese and Fresh Peppermint Pies
Ingredients for 4 small pies
Dough
135g flour
40g olive oil
35g water
salt

Filling
100-130g fresh spinach leaves, washed and roughly chopped
olive oil (1 tsp)
100g feta cheese, crumbled
10 peppermint leaves, finely chopped
1 tbsp Greek yoghourt
salt
pepper
2 tsp honey

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius (400 F)

Feta cheese and spinach pies flavoured with mint and honey

1. Mix the dough components together. It is good to work the dough by hand until well combined.
2. Set aside until you make the filling.
3. Heat a pan with a little olive oil, 1 teaspoon is enough to wilt the spinach.
4. Place the chopped spinach into the pan and cook on medium heat for a few minutes until the spinach is soft.
5. Press the excess water out of the spinach.
6. Place the crumbled feta cheese into a bowl, add the mint, yoghourt and soft honey. Mix all together, season with salt and pepper.
7. Set 1/3 of the dough aside. Roll the 2/3 of the dough to a 3-4mm flat sheet, cut portions and fit the dough into small pie forms. If needed, place a piece of baking paper at the bottom to prevent sticking. This step is not necessary if you are using already non-sticking forms.
8. Portion the spinach onto the dough and then add a tablespoon of the feta filling on top.
9. Now roll out the remaining dough and portion for covers. It is also fine to leave the pies uncovered. Both versions work well.
10. Bake in the oven for about 30-35 minutes until the dough is cooked.

Serve warm or cold.

Covered or not, the honey, mint and cheese meet in a merry union

New potato salad with avocado-mint sauce

New potato salad with fresh mint-avocado sauce

The new potatoes have appeared on the farmers´market. The imported new potatoes from Israel or North African countries have been on the shop shelves for months as their winter harvest is already in January-February, but it isn´t until the local new potatoes appear that the full flavour of the new potatoes will bring the knowing "Ahh!", "Oooo" or "Mmmm" over the lips.


Select the small ones with the flaky peel curling off their bald bodies.
One farmer had these new potatoes the size of marbles. I must go back on Saturday to get a pound of these buttons for a salad or toss them around in butter for a warm bite.

The potato salad is a summer classic always present at a BBQ either in a creamy mayo sauce or a lighter mustard-oil based sauce.
A creamy variation is easily made with avocado. The taste can be pimped with some fresh mint.

New potato salad with avocado-mint sauce
Ingredients for 2
500g new potatoes, washed, not peeled
4-5 sprigs peppermint
1 avocado
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp Greek yoghurt
1 tbsp olive oil
salt
pepper

Cook the new potatoes with some fresh mint and salt

Bring the water to boil, add potatoes, a good pinch of salt and a couple of mint sprigs. Cook until just soft. Drain.

Scoop the avocado into a bowl and crush with a fork into a paste. Keeping the stone in the bowl in the mix prevents the avocado turning brown. Add lemon juice, yoghurt, olive oil and finely chopped mint leaves. Season with salt and pepper. Combine well.

Drizzle some olive oil and add flaky sea salt on top for a little extra.
Serve separately or mix together with the potatoes as a light lunch on its own or as a side dish.

New potatoes sauced with creamy avocado and fresh mint

Roasted potatoes and radishes



Roasted radishes, a very light meal with a lovely colour



Ironically it looks like summer has deserted Switzerland too this year after a semi-shadowed equally non-existent spring. The temperatures during the day are pushing through to 16 degrees Celsius (61F) with the effort of an untrained runner crossing the marathon finish line. People were wearing coats and scarves and one lady even had a coat with fur lining on yesterday. At least she was keeping warm and looked cozy like someone coming in from a chilly night and sitting down on a chair where a cat had been curling up for an hour.

Massive summer BBQ activity is delayed too. The national sausage called Cervelat hit the news again this week. This sausage is a Swiss phenomenon like "Wiener Schnitzel" or "Apfelstrudel" in Austria, "Kartoffelsalat" in Germany or "must leib" (dark rye bread) in Estonia. If something happens to such national food, it is bound to make the news. This time half a page of the morning newspaper was dedicated to the analysis that the Cervelat prices were going up by 10% at all major retailers. The positive side is that due to the delayed grilling season the wallets of the Swiss Cervelat afficionados will retain their weight for a bit longer.

Swiss national sausage, makes the news at least every year

In this cold mood, me wearing a wollen jumper, it seemed rather approapriate to heat up the oven to 200C (400F) and stuff it with some potatoes and fresh radishes.

Instructions:
Potatoes
1. Wash the potatoes and radishes thoroughly.
2. Cut the potatoes into quarters, place them in a baking dish.
3. Sprinkle with sea salt and add a couple of sprigs of fresh rosemary from the herb garden and a generous amount of peeled garlic cloves.
4. Drizzle with oil.
5. Cover with a piece of aluminium foil and cook in the oven for about 40 minutes. Then remove the foil and bake further 15 minutes to give the potatoes a nice crust.

Season the potatoes with herbs, garlic and sea salt

Roasted potato wedges with rosemary and garlic

Radishes
1. Halve the radishes and spread them in a baking dish.
2. Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper.
3. Cook for ca. 20 min in the oven.
Radishes need a lot less time in the oven than the potatoes.



Fresh radishes ready to go in the oven

Freshly roasted radishes have a silky taste

I made a cheese-yoghurt topping from grated old Gouda, a couple of tablespoons of Greek yoghurt and a tablespoon of mayonese and had the potatoes as a main course. These can be also served as a side dish to a more meaty main course or to a grilled Cervelat. 

Keeping warm and happy.

Cold cucumber and strawberry soup

A refreshing soup in the strawberry season

I had an eye-opening moment this May when I realised that the lunch take-away places had stopped serving soup. I checked out all my regular soup places and sighed my way out shoulders sinking lower at each door. It seemed like all of them had agreed to stop serving soup as of first of May. It slowly sank in it that this must be the normal practice. Soup is served in winter and replaced by green and mixed salads in summer. OK, makes sense.

The thing that didn´t quite make sense was the fact that this year the whole May was an extension of winter. The maximum day temperatures swinging between 8-13 degrees Celsius. Far from the weather that calls for a cooling salad. Moreover, the prepared towers of salad boxes did not seem to be selling as fast as oven warm bread at all. But rules are rules or traditions are traditions. No soup after 1st May regardless of the outside temperatures.

The other thing that didn´t quite make sense for me, an eager soup fan, was a selfish question of what if I wish to eat soup all year round. The answer to that would be to make your own soup or go to a sit-down restaurant as they still serve soups all year round.

I can hear the nutritionists in the West, East and ayurvedic rush to explain that the hot weather requires cold or moderate temperature foods. Fair enough. In summer, there is a place for cold soups.

Gazpacho in Spain, šaltibarščiai Lithuania, cold beetroot and buttermilk soup in Estonia, a chilled cucumber soup or a highlight last summer a cold lemon confit soup at Le Pré Verre in Paris,  all a blessing in the heat. These are just a few that immediately flash through my mind when I think of cold soups.

Ingredients for the cucumber-strawberry soup

Cold cucumber and strawberry soup
Strawberries go well with black pepper and peppermint and let combine in a savoury dish equally gracefully.

Ingredients for 2 portions or 6 small appetisers
half a long salad cucumber, peeled and cut into small pieces
250g fresh strawberries, green tops removed, cut into small pieces
1-2dl tomato passata or any tomato sauce a nature
1 small clove of fresh garlic, chrushed
a small bunch of fresh thyme, finely chopped
a small bunch of fresh Moroccan peppermint leaves, finely chopped
juice of half a lemon
salt
black pepper
1 tsp sugar
extra virgin olive oil


Mix the cucumbers and strawberries with herbs and seasonings

Mix the cucumber and strawberry pieces with the tomato sauce, garlic, thyme, peppermint,  salt, black pepper, sugar and leave to marinate for 30 minutes.

Purée in a blender or with a hand mixer until smooth.
Taste for salt, sweetness and spice and ajust if necessary.
Keep refrigerated until serving. Serve with some extra virgin olive oil sprinkled on top.

The soup has low calories, however does fill the stomach quite well.



Cold soup of cucumber and strawberry served as a small appetizer

Cake Auction: Passion Fruit / Maracuja Cake

The past two weeks have excited the enthusiastic patissiers at the office as much as the eager colleagues who have been generously bidding or buying lottery tickets in the hope to win a piece of self made cake.

We saw masterpieces of decoration ("An ambulance cake"!) and "Divine drops of paradise" that took the happy winners, drooling in the corners of their mouth, to heaven even if just for a brief moment.

Our Brazilian-Mexican-Estonian team Baked produced a maracuja cake. This involved creating a recipe based on some special Brazilian ingredients. The cake was layered and wrapped in two different fresh cream mixes and pushed over the finish with labor intensive (whew!) chocolate deco. Our cake proudly raised over 360 Swiss francs or 380 dollars.

Passion Fruit / Maracuja cake from the team Baked

The money that all these cakes raised is supporting a local school for children with special needs -Heilpedagogischer Tagesschule Biel.

The teachers, the headmaster and the children make the school a most kind and genuine place. Their school, as they say themselves, is a place for encounter, learning and celebration. They celebrate happy and sad moments every morning with a ceremony and they take time to say hello to everyone before the work in the classrooms starts. At this bi-lingual school the children learn new things, develop various skills and celebrate life. Respect.

This Vol.2 of our cake is a little thank you to the generous bidders. Their money is well spent.

Celebrate life. Learn. ....and eat cake!

A Thank You eddition of the Maracuja Cake for generous donators

Watercress soup

Watercress or Bachkresse in Swizerland

It is rare to see watercress on sale in Switzerland. It does not exist in the supermarkets, it is yet to be seen as the Swiss supermarkets are adapting to a wider range of products in the last years.

It is rather rare at the farmers´market too. Almost non-existent. When I saw the mushroom-man sell wild garlic and Bachkresse or watercresse the decision was made in my head in a few seconds. I made a mental note to strike through some other ingredients oin my shopping list replacing one planned meal with this new surprise.

Watercress soup with sourdough fougasse with olives

 

Water cress soup
Ingredients:
1 tbsp oil (e.g rape seed oil)
1 shallott, chopped
3 medium potatoes, cut into cubes
1 dash of white wine (optional)
0.7 l stock  
100g watercresse
2-3 tbsp fresh cream
salt
pepper

Heat the oil, cook the onions in it until glassy, then add the potatoes and cook for a couple of minutes. Splash in the wine and let it evaporate. Add the stock and cook on medium heat until the potatoes are soft. Add the watercress and cook for a couple of minutes until they soften.

Remove from heat and puree. Add the cream, bring back to boil. Season and serve.

Kohlrabi and wild garlic soup

For health conscious Fabi

After the extended winter this year the choice of the fresh vegetables at the farmers´ market is starting to multiply week by week and the opportunities to shake up another snazzy soup are equally expanding.



Aromatic Wild Garlic

The season for wild garlic in the nothern hemisphere is mainly in April and May. It finds its rightful place in a wild garlic risotto, can be folded into bread dough, mixed into a pesto or used raw to burst its garlicky taste. It has a smoother garlic taste than the conventional garlic cloves.

I thank my colleague Eli and her generous Mom and her garden where the wild garlic grows like weed.

I picked up one of the kohlrabis from the pile of these freshly harvested vegetables and assessed the baby smooth skin and the juicy crunch inside. The good ones have a kind of sweaky sound. Perfect! Can´t wait to be in the kitchen and 30 minutes later here comes lunch... Can´t be any fresher.

Fresh Kohlrabi (Swiss Rübkohl, Estonian Nuikapsas)

Kohlrabi and wild garlic soup

Ingredients for 2:
1 tbsp vegetable oil (eg. rape seed)
1-2 onion, chopped
1 Kohlrabi, cut into cubes
0.5 dl white wine or white sherry (optional)
0.7 l vegetable or chicken stock
2 tbsp fresh cream
salt
pepper
6-8 leaves of wild garlic, cut into fine stripes

Main ingredients for the kohlrabi & wild garlic soup

Heat the oil in a pan and cook the onions until for about 5 minutes until translucent.
Add the kohlrabi and cook for a few more minutes. Add the wine and let it sizzle away, then add the stock. Cook until kohlrabi is soft, about 10 minutes.

Take the soup off the heat and pureé until smooth. Mix in the cream and bring to boil. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve with freshly cut wild garlic leaves.



Kohlrabi and wild garlic soup

Home Made Wild Garlic Bread

Wild garlic loaf (German Bärlauch Brot)

I suppose wild garlic is a little bit of Love or Hate thing. Less so if eaten raw, as in a raw state it resembles conventional garlic quite a lot. It reveals its special taste and aroma in some cooked dishes. Bread is one of such ways that when detected can be a real pleasure for the gourmet palate or may put off an eater not familiar with this herb.

In any case, for any curious mind, to find out if you have a love or hate relationship with wild garlic bread I invite you to try it out in your own kitchen.

Wild garlic at the market in April

Wild Garlic Bread
Ingredients for a small loaf
ca 15 g of fresh yeast
2.5 cups of dark wheat flour (I used the Swiss Ruchmehl)
0.5 tsp salt
2 tbs olive oil + a bit more for kneading
a small bunch (6-8 leaves) of wild garlic, finely chopped
1-1.5 dl water

Dissolve the yeast in a bowl in 0.5 dl water. Add the flour, oil, salt and the wild garlic. Add the water and mix the components together by hand. If the dough does not stick together add a little bit more water but not too much.

Put about 1 tbsp olive oil on the working surface where you knead the dough. Take the dough out of the bowl and start kneading it, stretching and folding it together for about 10 minutes until gluten builds and the dough becoms elastic and does not stick to the hands any more.

Drizzle some olive oil (again no more than 1 tablespoon) on the bottom and sides of the bowl and place the dough ball back into the bowl. Cover tightly with cling film and cover with kitchen towles. Leave to raise (prove) in a warm place for an hour or until the dough has doubled its size.

Preheat the oven to 220 Celsius.

When the dough has risen, take it out of the bowl onto the working surface and stretch and press out the air. Then fold the dough into a loaf and place it into the baking form fitted with the baking paper. If you wish, make a cut lengthwise.

Place a tray with water into the oven to create steam to support the making of the crust. Now the loaf goes into the hot oven for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes turn down the heat to 200C and continue baking for another 20 minutes.

Knock on the crust, but take care not to burn yourself. Hearing a hollow sound is a good sign. Place the loaf on a cooling rack and get the fresh bread afficionados ready around the table to taste your work. Serve with butter.

Serve the fresh wild garlic bread with butter

More recipes with wild garlic:
Red snapper on wild garlic risotto