I love garlic!! I had been taking the Garlic Lovers Cookbooks out of my local library every once in a while for years. These are cookbooks that come from the Gilroy Garlic Festival. And then….I found my very own copy of one of them!! So, yes, I have many garlic laced recipes. And this cheese pie with a potato crust is an essential spring time recipe!
Fair warning–it has several steps and takes a while. You might should have a cheese snack before you start, to tide you over.
Then, we start the crust. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, so it will be ready by the time your crust is. Then grate 2 potatoes. I use a box grater, and place a plate underneath to catch all the shreds.
Combine the potato with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and put them in a colander to drain for 10 minutes. After that, you’ll want to squish all the moisture out that you can. You won’t want a soggy crust.
Once the potatoes are dry, combine them with 1 beaten egg. Press the crust to the sides and bottom of an oiled 9″ pie pan. Bake for 40-45 minutes.
Towards the end of the baking period, you’ll want to work on the filling. Peel and crush 3 cloves of garlic (or more….we’re talking garlic here!) Chop a green onion. Chop 15 medium sized mushrooms (I bought one pint sized container, and that worked fine). Trim a bunch of asparagus and chop into bite sized pieces. Saute garlic and onion a few minutes in some butter.
Add asparagus and mushrooms. Season with a dash of thyme and 1/2 teaspoon of dried basil, along with 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Put a lid on it, and cook for about 10 minutes. Check on it once in a while and give it a stir.
Now, it’s time to assemble the pie! Put about a cup of shredded cheese over the crust, which should be done baking by now. Turn the oven down to 375 degrees.
Place the sauteed veg on top. Beat 2 eggs with 1/4 cup milk and pour over the top. Sprinkle the rest of the shredded cheese over the top. Bake at 375 degrees for 35-40 minutes.
Garlic Goddess Cheese Pie (from The Garlic Lovers Cookbook 1982)
Potato Crust
2 large raw potatoes
1/2 tsp. salt
1 large beaten egg
Filling
3 large cloves fresh garlic (or more)
1 green onion (I used one regular onion)
a bunch asparagus
15 medium sized mushrooms (I used a pint container)
3 Tbs. butter (or oil, for sauteeing)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. dried basil
dash thyme
2 1/4 heaping cups grated cheddar cheese
2 large eggs
1/4 cup milk
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Pare and grate potatoes. Combine with salt and turn into a colander. Let drain 10 minutes, then squeeze out excess moisture. Combine with egg. Pat into oiled 9″ pie pan to make a crust. Bake in preheated oven 40-45 minutes. Peel and crush garlic; trim and chop onion. Trim and chop asparagus tips and mushrooms. Saute garlic and onion in butter a few minutes. Add asparagus and mushrooms with seasonings. Cover and cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Spread half the cheese into the baked crust, then the vegetable saute. Cover with remaining cheese. Beat eggs with milk and pour over the pie. Bake at 375 degrees for 35-40 minutes.
Hungry Like the Wolfe 