Salsa and Spinach Pie with Wild Onions

This disarmingly good pie was inspired by a pleasant hour digging in the dirt. A few weeks ago I wrote about foraging for wild onions. I went back for more this past weekend. I didn’t have a trowel, so I just went to work with my hands and a sturdy stick, gently digging around the clumps of onions and pulling them up by the roots. Back home, I washed the onions and cut off the bulbs, thinking how tasty they would be in a pie.

In my opinion, typical white or sweet onions are too strong a flavour for what I had in mind, but wild onions lend just the right hint of spiciness.

See if you agree. This pie is perfect for brunch or supper, and begs to be served with muffins or fresh fruit or a crisp salad.

Salsa and Spinach Pie with Wild Onions

Pie Crust
1 c flour
1/2 t salt (I like this brand)
1 stick of butter (1/4 lb)
3-4 T cold water

In a bowl, stir the flour and salt together.  Cut the butter into small chunks and add to the flour, working it in with a fork until the mixture resembles pea-sized crumbs.  Sprinkle in the water, one tablespoon at a time, mixing lightly after each addition until the emerging dough just begins to clean the sides of the bowl.  Gather the dough into a ball, put it back in the bowl, and pop it in the fridge while you mix up the pie filling.

Pie Filling
3 eggs
1/2 c sour cream
1/2 c salsa
1/4 t salt
1/2 to 1 c cheddar cheese, grated
1 handful wild onion bulbs, chopped
2 1/2 c frozen chopped spinach, thawed and thoroughly drained
2 small tomatoes, chopped

Preheat the oven to 375.  In a bowl, beat the eggs.  Stir in sour cream, salsa, salt and cheese.  Add the onions, spinach and tomatoes; stir gently.  Roll out pie crust and lay in glass pie dish.  Pour in filling.  Bake for 25-35 minutes, or until the filling is set and the crust edges have begun to turn golden.  Let the pie rest a minute or two before slicing.