Wild Edibles: SUE’S SPINACH & NETTLE QUICHE

Theme of the latest issue of KANSAS! Magazine (2025 / vol 81 / issue 3, pp. 58-63)  is “Our Wild Kansas Landscapes” so it seemed logical to include a story about wild edibles for the Taste section. I interviewed three women — Terry Olson, Sue Maes and Kelly Yarbrough’s — who teach a class (Edible Native Plants) for Manhattan’s UFM.       

Photo of the quiche is a copy of the one used in the magazine — it was taken by Amy Meng. 

My interview included a walk through the Kansas prairie  and a wild plant feast. Two of the recipes I sampled were Sue’s Spinach & Nettle Quiche and Garlic Mustard Pesto served over hot tortellini. Although I was a bit apprehensive, both dishes were DELICIOUS! Also included in the article is a list of other edible plant ideas plus suggested references for those who might be interested in foraging.

SUE’S SPINACH & NETTLE QUICHE

Sue Maes offered up this recipe but also suggested another alternative, “Use your favorite spinach quiche recipe and substitute one-third of the spinach with blanched nettles.”

 

INGREDIENTS

Pie Crust:

9-inch pie crust, pre-baked for 10 minutes at 375 degrees 

 

Filling: 

1/3 pound Swiss cheese; Cheddar or Gruyere are other possibilities 

1/2 pound fresh spinach & stinging nettles (combine in a ratio of two-thirds spinach to one-third nettles)

1/2 medium onion, finely chopped

1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil 

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt & a pinch of black pepper

4 large eggs

1 ½ cups whole milk, or use part half and half

 

DIRECTIONS

1.   Sprinkle cheese over pre-baked crust.  

2.   Blanch the nettles using tongs to drop them into a pot of boiling water. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until tender, drain and squeeze out excess water.

3.   Sauté onion in a skillet with olive oil until transulent. Add fresh spinach, blanched nettles, dry mustard, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Continue to cook 3 to 4 minutes to blend flavors.

4.   In a bowl, beat eggs and milk. 

5.   Combine the sautéed spinach and nettle mixture with the egg mixture; pour over the cheese-topped pie crust.  

Bake in preheated 375 degree oven for 35 to 40 minutes. Test for doneness with a thin-bladed knife. Insert knife about one-inch from the center of quiche; if it’s clean when pulled out, it’s done. If any quiche clings to the blade, bake a few minutes longer and test again.

A good book and a recipe — Mrs. Santa’s Crunchy Cheese Cracker found in “Forget What You Know”

It’s always fun for me to discover a recipe at the end of a good book. As I read Christina Dodd’s “Forget What You Know,” crunchy cheese crackers repeatedly were mentioned so I was thrilled to discover a link to the recipe at the end of the book. Despite already having several recipes for really good cheese crackers, I was intrigued by the addition of corn flakes to the usual cheese cracker ingredients, the addition that adds the crunch. Another positive about these cheesy delights is the fact that they are slice and bake crackers so can be made ahead (unbaked logs can even be frozen) and then bakeds on an as needed basis. 

Dodd’s description preceding the recipe includes: In the small town of Gothic, California, Mrs. Santa’s tearoom is decorated (or over-decorated) in Christmas décor: “walls covered with framed Christmas prints, Christmas-themed ceramics, English porcelain Christmas-painted plates on decorative hangers. Santas decorated the light switches. Painted evergreen branches climbed the table legs and Christmas tree bulbs dotted the wallpaper.” Mrs. Santa serves the usual tearoom fare: delicate sandwiches with no crusts, curried chicken salad, scones with clotted cream and lemon curd and, of course, steaming hot tea served in Santa teapots. Her pièce de résistance is a Santa plate filled with her famous cheese wafers. They have a special crunch."

 

The recipe appears exactly as printed on Dodd’s website. Check out her other recipes, too. 

 

Mrs. Santa’s Crunchy Cheese Cracker

1 ½ cups shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese (1/3 lb.)

½ cup unsalted butter, softened—Mrs. Santa uses Kerrygold

1 cup all purpose flour

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon dried mustard

½ teaspoon cayenne (less or more depends on your taste)

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 ½ cups corn flakes cereal, crushed

Ice water 

1. Process cheese and butter in food processor until blended. 
   
2. Add flour, salt, dried mustard and cayenne. Pulse until blended. 
3. Add cereal, process until blended. Add Worcestershire sauce.
   
4. Here’s the tricky part. Add ice water, one tablespoon at a time, and toss lightly. How much?Depends on where you live and the time of year. Humidity makes a huge difference. What you’re looking for is the mixture to cling together when you press it between your palms. If you make your own pie dough, think of that. 
   
   
   
   

5. 

   I divided the dough into 2 logs. 

   Once you get that consistency, roll it into a one inch diameter log, wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerator for at least four hours.
6. When you’re ready to bake, heat oven to 350 ° F. 
7. Cut log with a serrated knife into wafers. 
   
8. Bake on a sheet 12 to 14 minutes until lightly browned. Cool on wire rack. Store in airtight container (they are fragile!) and serve them on a Santa plate to your best friends.
9. When you’re ready to bake, heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Cut log with a serrated knife into wafers. Bake on a sheet 12-14 minutes until lightly browned. Cool on wire rack. Store in airtight container (they are fragile!) and serve them on a Santa plate to your best friends.Mrs. Santa’s crackers freeze well, make delightful gifts. 

Recipe without photos . . . Mrs. Santa’s Crunchy Cheese Cracker

1 ½ cups shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese (1/3 lb.)

½ cup unsalted butter, softened—Mrs. Santa uses Kerrygold

1 cup all purpose flour

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon dried mustard

½ teaspoon cayenne (less or more depends on your taste)

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 ½ cups corn flakes cereal, crushed

Ice water 

1. Process cheese and butter in food processor until blended. 
2. Add flour, salt, dried mustard and cayenne. Pulse until blended. 
3. Add cereal, process until blended. Add Worcestershire sauce.
4. Here’s the tricky part. Add ice water, one tablespoon at a time, and toss lightly. How much?Depends on where you live and the time of year. Humidity makes a huge difference. What you’re looking for is the mixture to cling together when you press it between your palms. If you make your own pie dough, think of that. 
5. Once you get that consistency, roll it into a one inch diameter log, wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerator for at least four hours.
6. When you’re ready to bake, heat oven to 350 ° F.t. 
7. Cut log with a serrated knife into wafers. 
8. Bake on a sheet 12 to 14 minutes until lightly browned. Cool on wire rack. Store in airtight container (they are fragile!) and serve them on a Santa plate to your best friends.
9. When you’re ready to bake, heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Cut log with a serrated knife into wafers. Bake on a sheet 12-14 minutes until lightly browned. Cool on wire rack. Store in airtight container (they are fragile!) and serve them on a Santa plate to your best friends.Mrs. Santa’s crackers freeze well, make delightful gifts. 

Instant Pot Baked Beans — no soaking required

From dry beans to a side dish all in the Instant Pot — no soaking require.  For years, pressure cooking was a unit of study I taught in high school home economics and the stove-top version cooking method was one I used at home to speed up cooking. Then, the slow cooker and other new technologies took over. Many of those (with the exemption of the slow cooker) eventually took their place on back shelves, resurrected once a year or so, if at all. So I was reluctant to purchase the latest “fad.” However, I believe this appliance is beyond the “fad” status and I continue to praise it’s usefulness.  

Instant Pot Baked Beans — no soaking required / recipe makes about 6+ servings and is adjusted for a 3-quart pot; double recipe for a 6-quart pot

Cook Dry Beans:

1/2 lb. uncooked dry white beans (Great Northern or Navy)

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

4 cups water 

Baked Beans:

4 or 5 slices bacon, cut into pieces

1 small to medium yellow or white onion, diced

1/2 tablespoon minced garlic (I used 1 tablespoon garlic scapes* since this is the season for them)

3 tablespoons brown sugar  

1 heapingtablespoon tomato paste

1 1/2 teaspoons liquid smoke

1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1 1/2 tablespoons molasses

1/4 cup BBQ sauce (I used a homemade version of Gates BBQ Sauce)

About 2 oz. (1/2 can) diced green chiles ( optional)

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

Dash red pepper flakes

1 1/2 cup water

Kosher salt for seasoning near end of cooking

Cilantro for garnishing if desired

1. Cook Dry Beans: Add dry beans, salt and 4 cups of water to the inner pot of the Instant Pot (IP). Cover and make sure the valve points to Sealed. 
   
2. Cook on High Pressure for 25 minutes followed by a 20 to 25 minutes Natural Pressure Release.



3. Manually release manually the remaining pressure and remove the lid.

 


   
4. Rinse the beans under cold water and drain.
Clean the inner pot and return it to the IP.
5. Make Baked Beans: Set the IP to Sauté. Add the bacon and cook until crisp. Remove and set aside in refrigerator for later use.
   
6. Add the onions and garlic to the bacon grease, adding more grease or oil if needed. Sauté until onions are transulent.
   
7. Add the cooked beans to the IP with the rest of the ingredients except the final Kosher salt and cilantro. Gently stir to combine. Cover with the lid and make sure the valve points to Sealed position..
   
8. Cook on High Pressure for 10 minutes followed by a 10 minutes Natural Pressure Release.
   
9. Manually release manually the remaining pressure and remove the lid.

Taste and add salt as needed at this point.
10. If the beans seems juicier than preferred, set IP Sauté and cook the beans with the lid off for 5+ minutes  or until the liquid at the preferred consistency.
11. Top beans with chopped cooked bacon and cilantro.  
    

*Garlic Scapes are the shoots that grow out of the ground from hard-neck varieties of garlic.

Recipe without photos . . .

Instant Pot Baked Beans — no soaking required / recipe makes about 6+ servings and is adjusted for a 3-quart pot; double recipe for a 6-quart pot

Cook Dry Beans:

1/2 lb. uncooked dry white beans (Great Northern or Navy)

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

4 cups water 

Baked Beans:

4 or 5 slices bacon, cut into pieces

1 small to medium yellow or white onion, diced

1/2 tablespoon minced garlic (I used 1 tablespoon garlic scapes* since this is the season for them)

3 tablespoons brown sugar  

1 heapingtablespoon tomato paste

1 1/2 teaspoons liquid smoke

1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1 1/2 tablespoons molasses

1/4 cup BBQ sauce (I used a homemade version of Gates BBQ Sauce)

About 2 oz. (1/2 can) diced green chiles ( optional)

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

Dash red pepper flakes

1 1/2 cup water

Kosher salt for seasoning near end of cooking

Cilantro for garnishing if desired

1. Cook Dry Beans: Add dry beans, salt and 4 cups of water to the inner pot of the Instant Pot (IP). Cover and make sure the valve points to Sealed. 
2. Cook on High Pressure for 25 minutes followed by a 20 to 25 minutes Natural Pressure Release.



3. Manually release manually the remaining pressure and remove the lid.

 


4. Rinse the beans under cold water and drain.
Clean the inner pot and return it to the IP.
5. Make Baked Beans: Set the IP to Sauté. Add the bacon and cook until crisp. Remove and set aside in refrigerator for later use.
6. Add the onions and garlic to the bacon grease, adding more grease or oil if needed. Sauté until onions are transulent.
7. Add the cooked beans to the IP with the rest of the ingredients except the final Kosher salt and cilantro. Gently stir to combine. Cover with the lid and make sure the valve points to Sealed position.
8. Cook on High Pressure for 10 minutes followed by a 10 minutes Natural Pressure Release.
9. Manually release manually the remaining pressure and remove the lid.

Taste and add salt as needed at this point.
10. If the beans seems juicier than preferred, set IP Sauté and cook the beans with the lid off for 5+ minutes  or until the liquid at the preferred consistency.
11. Top beans with chopped cooked bacon and cilantro.  

*Garlic Scapes are the shoots that grow out of the ground from hard-neck varieties of garlic.

Saltines with a Kick!

Spicy and crispy crackers created by adding oil and seasoning to Saltine crackers are addictive snacks. In the past I’ve flavored them with dry Ranch Dressing seasoning and vegetable oil—Spicy Saltine Crackers. This version uses olive oil and relies on steak seasoning mix. The inspiration for this version came from Take Two Tapas blog but I cut way back on the red pepper and hot spices, using just the minimum so that Barry would eat them! Wasn't sure it he'd like them as well as the Ranch flavored crackers but he gave this recipe a thumbs up!    

Saltines with a Kick! 

1 box Saltine crackers (all 4 sleeves)

1 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons All-Purpose Steak Seasoning  

1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes

2 teaspoons garlic powder

1/4 to 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1. Place all 4 sleeves of crackers, standing them upright, in a square container.

2. Mix oil and spices together in a bowl; whisk to combine. 

3. Drizzle seasoned oil over crackers as evenly as possible. 

4. Seal the container. Flip the container upside down and let sit for 5 minutes.

5. Repeat every 5 minutes for a total of 30 minutes. Every five minutes, for 30 minutes.

All-Purpose Steak Seasoning  

2 tablespoons kosher salt

1 1/2 tablespoons coarse ground black pepper

1 1/2 tablespoons granulated garlic

1/2 tablespoon smoked paprika

1 1/2 tablespoons granulated onion

1 tablespoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 tablespoon dry mustard powder

1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes

Mix all ingredients together and store in a container until ready to add to your favorite recipe!

Recipes without photos . . .  Saltines with a Kick! 

1 box Saltine crackers (all 4 sleeves)

1 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons All-Purpose Steak Seasoning  

1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes

2 teaspoons garlic powder

1/4 to 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1. Place all 4 sleeves of crackers, standing them upright, in a square container.

2. Mix oil and spices together in a bowl; whisk to combine. 

3. Drizzle seasoned oil over crackers as evenly as possible. 

4. Seal the container. Flip the container upside down and let sit for 5 minutes.

5. Repeat every 5 minutes for a total of 30 minutes. Every five minutes, for 30 minutes.

All-Purpose Steak Seasoning  

2 tablespoons kosher salt

1 1/2 tablespoons coarse ground black pepper

1 1/2 tablespoons granulated garlic

1/2 tablespoon smoked paprika

1 1/2 tablespoons granulated onion

1 tablespoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 tablespoon dry mustard powder

1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes

Mix all ingredients together and store in a container until ready to add to your favorite recipe!

St. Andrew's Ham Loaf and Spicy Mustard Sauce

Portion sizes at the annual St. Andrew’s Catholic Church Ham Loaf Dinner are huge. Yet, after we finished leftovers, we hadn’t had quite enough. So, we headed for Zey’s Market, the grocery store that prepares the three-meat mixture used in the church’s famous loaf. Their family size version even includes a recipe. After preparing the loaf, I divided it in between two smaller loaf pans and put both in the freezer to enjoy later. When it was time for ham loaf, I also prepared some the church’s standard sides—Creamed Potatoes, slaw, rolls and of course the requisite mustard sauce. Jill’s Mustard Sauce originated with Jill Royer, the force behind the church dinner that began in the early 1960s.  

St. Andrew's Ham Loaf     Make 1 large loaf or 2 smaller loaves

2 eggs

1 cup milk

1 cup (after crushing) corn flakes

1 (3-lb.) ham loaf mix (made up of 1 lb. each ground beef, pork & ham)

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1. Mix eggs and milk. Stir in crushed corn flakes and let soak until mixture is very soft.
   
2. Next mix in ham loaf mix, brown sugar and mustard; mix thoroughly without over mixing. 
   
   
   

   
3. Add to greased or sprayed baking pan(s) or dish. 
   
4. Bake large loaf for 1 hour; smaller loaves for about 45 minutes in a preheated 350° oven — Ham loaf is officially done baking when a meat thermometer inserted in the center of the loaf reads 160°.  
   
   
   

   

   Ham Loaf & Spicy Mustard Sauce served with Mom's Slaw w/ Celery Seed Dressing, Creamed Potatoes (made by adding White Sauce to boiled potatoes) and Fluffy Rolls.

A word or two about the Mustard Sauce — I knew I had a hand written recipe card in my recipe box this sauce. Details of where it came from or who gave it to me are long gone. As I reviewed the recipe I was rather astonished at the amount of dry mustard in proportion to the rest of the ingredients. Dry mustard by itself has no flavor or taste but when combined with liquid, it releases the essential oil responsivle for its piquant zing of flavor—which is a nice way of saying “the stuff is HOT”! Worried that perhaps the zing might be a bit much, I checked with a couple of church members and they verified amounts; I even found a similar recipe online that used 1 1/4 cups of dry mustard instead of 1 cup. So I proceeded according to the directions that follow. 

HOWEVER, IF I MAKE IT AGAIN, I WILL DEFINITELY CUT THE MUSTARD DOWN BY AT LEAST A FOURTH (maybe more). Although it is the perfect sauce for ham loaf, it is just a bit hot even for me . . . and I welcome hot and spicy! 

 

Jill’s Mustard Sauce  Makes 1 1/2 pints (could be cut in half for smaller batch)

1 cup dry mustard (such as Coleman’s® brand)

1 cup white vinegar

2 eggs

1 cup granulated sugar

Pinch salt

1 jigger sherry (2 fluid ounces)

1. In a large heatproof saucepan, mix dry mustard and vinegar. Cover and let set overnight.
2. Next day, mix in eggs, sugar and a pinch of salt.
3. Place heatproof saucepan on top of a saucepan of boiling water to create a double boiler (water should not touch bottom of saucepan). 
4. Boil mixture, stirring often, until it’s the consistency of a thin custard and coats a metal spoon—about 10 minutes.
5. Add a jigger of sherry.
   

Ham Loaf recipe without photos . . .

St. Andrew's Ham Loaf     Make 1 large loaf or 2 smaller loaves

2 eggs

1 cup milk

1 cup (after crushing) corn flakes

1 (3-lb.) ham loaf mix (made up of 1 lb. each ground beef, pork & ham)

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1. Mix eggs and milk. Stir in crushed corn flakes and let soak until mixture is very soft.
2. Next mix in ham loaf mix, brown sugar and mustard; mix thoroughly without over mixing. 
3. Add to greased or sprayed baking pan(s) or dish. 
4. Bake large loaf for 1 hour; smaller loaves for about 45 minutes in a preheated 350° oven — Ham loaf is officially done baking when a meat thermometer inserted in the center of the loaf reads 160°.  

Easy Sausage & Cheese Quiche

This was one of our contributions to last weekend's K-State football tailgate. I actually made it the night before and just warmed it up in the microwave before hitting the road. By the way, the CATS won!

Easy Sausage & Cheese Quiche    8 servings

1 (9”) unbaked deep frozen pie crust (I made a no-roll crust using the recipe on our site but omitted the powdered sugar)

8 oz. mild or spicy pork breakfast sausage

1/2 onion, diced

2 to 3 tablespoons fresh herbs or 1 tablespoon dried (parsley, thyme, chives)

1 1/2 to 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese -  divided

6 large eggs

1/2 cup milk mixed with 1/2 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon garlic salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground mustard

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Place pie shell on cookie sheet. Set aside.
2. In a skillet over medium high heat, cook the sausage until no pink remains; add onions about halfway through cooking. Drain excess fat from pan if needed.
3. Spread 1/2 sausage mixture in pie shell; sprinkle with 1/2 cheese. Add another layer of remaining sausage and most, but not all, of the cheese.
   
4. In a medium size mixing bowl whisk together the milk & sour cream, eggs, salt, pepper, and mustard.  Pour evenly over sausage. 
5. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. 
6. Place into oven and bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until the center is set when gently shaken. Check at 30 minutes and lay a piece of aluminum foil on top to prevent over browning if needed.
7. Allow to rest for 20 to 30 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
   

Recipe without photos . . .

Easy Sausage & Cheese Quiche    8 servings

1 (9”) unbaked deep frozen pie crust (I made a no-roll crust using the recipe on our site but omitted the powdered sugar)

8 oz. mild or spicy pork breakfast sausage

1/2 onion, diced

2 to 3 tablespoons fresh herbs or 1 tablespoon dried (parsley, thyme, chives)

1 1/2 to 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese -  divided

6 large eggs

1/2 cup milk mixed with 1/2 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon garlic salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground mustard

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Place pie shell on cookie sheet. Set aside.
2. In a skillet over medium high heat, cook the sausage until no pink remains; add onions about halfway through cooking. Drain excess fat from pan if needed.
3. Spread 1/2 sausage mixture in pie shell; sprinkle with 1/2 cheese. Add another layer of remaining sausage and most, but not all, of the cheese.
4. In a medium size mixing bowl whisk together the milk & sour cream, eggs, salt, pepper, and mustard.  Pour evenly over sausage. 
5. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. 
6. Place into oven and bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until the center is set when gently shaken. Check at 30 minutes and lay a piece of aluminum foil on top to prevent over browning if needed.
7. Allow to rest for 20 to 30 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Betty Krenger's Liverwurst Cheese Ball

Betty Krenger earns all the credit for this addictive cheese ball that was a favoirte of her husband Ed. It's always a hit at parties . . . even among those (like me) who avoid liver. 

Liverwurst Cheese Ball    Makes 1 cheese ball

8 -ounces liverwurst (ready-to-eat “liver sausage” made from at least 30% pork liver mixed with pork or other meat- John Mureller® Brunswager)

4 -ounces cream cheese

1 teaspoon Worstershire sauce

1 teaspoon onion salt 

1 tablespoon dry mustard

In a bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well. Form into a ball and frost with a the cream cheese topping that follows.   

Cream Cheese Topping:

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

4 -ounces cream cheese

Dash of garlic salt

---

Spanish-style peanute, chopped – for garnish.

Combine and mix all ingredients in a bawl. 

Frost ball with the cheese topping.

Garnish with chopped Spanish-style peanuts.