earth day foraging!

+ a tasty mushroom quiche recipe

Hi all. Just a quick one to say happy earth day! We live on a beautiful planet that deserves our care, and veganism (or eating more plant-based foods) is a step in the right direction.

Another way you can help is by making use of what’s available to you locally, and foraging can be such a rewarding day out. I know it’s not possible for everyone, particularly for those living in cities, so it feels like a real privilege to head into the forest.

Today we foraged for mushrooms, specifically saffron milk caps, which are not native to Australia but were accidentally introduced when pine trees were brought over. They are beautiful in colour - as you can see - and super meaty and tasty. My friend Iva and I were brainstorming recipes the moment we picked our first ones! 😋

They absorb flavour really well, and are great for pasta dishes, in soups, or even for replacing meat strips in stir fries or fajitas. However, I went for a classic mushroom and thyme quiche! So here’s a recipe that is a perfect autumn foraging treat.

Of course, saffron milk caps aren’t available everywhere, so any mushroom will do! I mixed milk caps and cup mushrooms here.

Also a disclaimer - do not go foraging without an experienced person who can properly identify plants. Thank you to my friend Lewis, who is a born naturalist! He organised the forage and helped identify the right ones (and the wrong ones 🍄) for us.

ingredients:

100g cup mushrooms

5-6 saffron milk caps (mixed sizes)

1 onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped

1 sheet shortcrust pastry

300g silken tofu

150g firm tofu

2 tbsp plant milk

1/3 cup nutritional yeast

Handful vegan cheese

Dried Italian herbs

Thyme sprigs for topping

Salt + pepper

how to:

1. Preheat oven to 180c. Grease a quiche tin with some vegan butter, then fill with a layer of shortcrust pastry.

2. Heat some vegan butter or oil in a saucepan and sauté onion and garlic. Add all sliced mushrooms (keep some whole but add them in as well), season with salt and pepper and continue to sauté on medium heat for 7-10 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, blend all tofu, soy milk, vegan cheese, nooch and herbs in a blender or food processor until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. The consistency should be like a slightly thin paste.

4. Turn off the heat with the mushrooms. Add a layer of tofu mixture to the quiche tin, then a layer of mushroom mix, then another layer of tofu mix, and a final layer of mushrooms. Here, face the small unsliced mushrooms outwards for presentation. Finish up with some sprigs of thyme.

5. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until pastry is golden. Leave to rest for about 10 minutes to help the tofu mix harden up, and serve with a salad!

I hope everyone has a great earth day. Keep doing small but effective things to help our planet ❤️‍🩹🌎