This delicious ground ivy, butternut squash, and bacon quiche recipe harnesses ground ivy’s aromatic, punchy flavour, which pairs beautifully with the sweet squash and salty bacon.
What is ground Ivy (Glechoma hederacea)?
Ground Ivy (Glechoma hederacea) is an edible, aromatic, perennial, evergreen creeper of the mint family Lamiaceae. It is commonly known as creeping charlie and alehoof, amongst other names. It is a clump-forming, aromatic plant that likes woodlands, hedgerows and damp places.
Can you eat ground ivy raw?
Yes, ground ivy is edible raw. Thanks to its aromatic bitter flavour, ground ivy is suitable as a spice and in salads. Still, we should not consume it in large quantities as there is some suggestion that it might be slightly toxic to humans due to the glechomin it contains. Glechomin has not been thoroughly studied, but it can cause nausea if ingested excessively.
Before any readers panic, I would like to point out that many common herbs and spices are harmful if consumed in excess, including sage, rosemary, garlic, turmeric, nutmeg, cloves, ginger and fenugreek. Many wild plants we forage contain active compounds that affect our bodies, which is why they have medicinal use. I advise you to thoroughly research any plants you are considering foraging before use and introduce them into your diet slowly. You can find more information on my approach to foraging and learning about wild plants here. (coming soon)
Note: Since there is limited data on the plant’s toxicity in humans, it is best to avoid it during pregnancy and breastfeeding as a precaution.
European settlers carried it worldwide, and it has become well-established in various localities. It is considered an aggressive invasive weed of woodlands and lawns in some parts of North America.
You can find everything I know about ground ivy in my post, Glechoma hederacea: cultivation, culinary and herbal uses of ground ivy. (coming soon)
A note on foraging.
- Only collect and eat wild foods that you are 100% sure you have identified correctly.
- Common sense says that if you entirely strip an area of wild food, you will damage that habitat, so only collect where food is bountiful and take reasonable amounts.
- Be aware of what happens in the area you are harvesting in. Plants near busy roads may be absorbing emissions from vehicles. If nearby fields are sprayed with pesticides, chances are some will also make their way onto wild plants. And if watercourses are polluted, your native plants will drink that water.
Ingredients needed to make ground ivy, butternut squash and bacon quiche.
- One blind-baked pastry crust (homemade or ready-made).
- 200 grams of butternut squash diced into 1cm squares
- 100 grams of diced bacon
- I/2 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 100 grams of grated cheddar cheese
- A handful of ground ivy
- Three eggs
- 300 ml double (heavy) cream
- Salt and pepper to season
The ingredients above should fill a 23cm tart tin nicely. You can make a crustless version of this quiche using a cake tin liner (Amazon Affiliate link).
Ingredient Preparation
Drizzle the cubed butternut squash with olive oil, mix and season with salt and pepper before adding the bacon pieces.
Spread on a baking sheet and roast in a preheated oven at 180C for 20-25 (turning halfway through the cooking time) until the squash is soft and the bacon crispy. Leave to cool.
Beat the eggs with the cream in a jug using a fork until well combined.
Reserve about 12 of the ground ivy leaves for decorating the top of the quiche and chop the rest roughly.
Assembling the ground ivy, butternut squash and bacon quiche.
Spread the roasted butternut squash and bacon mixture over the base of your blind-baked pastry crust.
Sprinkle over the chopped ground ivy.
Sprinkle over the grated cheddar cheese.
Pour over the egg and cream mixture.
Dot the reserved ground ivy leaves across the top of the quiche to decorate.
Bake in the oven at 180C for about 25 minutes until golden brown, and the custard is just set.
Leave to cool to just warm before serving to allow the custard filling to set.
The ground ivy, butternut squash and bacon flavours combine beautifully in this quiche resulting in a deliciously creamy custard that carries the flavour of the ground ivy beautifully.
More ground ivy recipes
If you have enjoyed this ground ivy, butternut squash and bacon quiche, you might want to check out these other ground ivy recipes.
