One of the first things I like to do when exploring a new city is head straight to the farmer’s/food market. Am perfectly content to spend hours ogling the fish, seafood, and legs of jamon Iberico at la Boqueria in Barcelona, and am in complete awe of the various markets of France (oh, the cheese, the foie, the saucisson, the oysters…).  Heck, when I’m back at home, it’s not uncommon for me to hit two, three, sometimes four farmers’ market over the course of a weekend.  And, am a bit embarrassed to mention how many trips to my local grocery store I make over the course of a week.  Let’s just say, the staff and I are well acquainted.

I’ve managed to find a few markets in Dublin.  Right now, the selection is on the small side. Notwithstanding, the quality has been stellar.

Today, I came home with a nice assortment — wild garlic (aka ramps), stinging nettles, dandelions, chicory, sorrel, and spinach.  My initial plan was to make a vibrant, spring-inspired soup.  But, given that I’m living in someone else’s home while in Dublin and am without my usual kitchen gadgets (including my beloved Vitamix or anything resembling a blender), had to scrap that idea and come up with, “Plan B.”  Sometimes you just need to go with the flow.

So, vibrant soup turned into a mixed wild greens galette (or free-formed pie), the perfectly simple, no fuss, rustic pie.  In a word, easy.  Just roll out your dough, add your filling(s) of choice, roughly fold in the edges, brush with egg wash, and bake.

I first blanched the greens (used a combination of wild garlic, stinging nettles, spinach, and sorrel, but you can incorporate just about any greens of your choosing).  Hope you like your greens because there’s a hefty amount of filling in this pie; unlike many of the pies I find out and about that are mostly pastry with a minuscule amount of filling.

Next, I added jarred marinated artichokes, feta, Parmesan, dill, and a few other ingredients to the mix.  A bit of a Greek-inspired hortopita (like spanakopita, but with a mixture of greens) with an extra element or two.  I especially like the addition of the artichokes.

Do you keep jarred marinated artichokes on hand?  They’re my latest fixation.  One of those pantry staples that adds an extra pop of flavor to any number of dishes, from fish, to pasta, to omelets, or a topping for crostini, pizza…and especially tasty, crisped up in a pan with some olive oil.

As for the dough, it’s part spelt and part all-purpose with a good amount of butter (Kerrygold, the butter of Ireland).  The butter is what makes for a crispy and flaky pastry, so don’t skimp.

A tasty way to incorporate what’s abundant this time of year and to get your daily allotment of greens.

Here are a few photos of the process:

You’ll need an assortment of greens (about a pound total)..

Blanch the greens…

Mix all the filling ingredients and bind them together with egg…

Roll out the dough, place your filling in the middle, roughly fold in the crust edges (we’re going for rustic here, so doesn’t need to be perfect), and brush with egg wash…

Into the oven (if you have a pizza/baking stone, all the more better) until nice and golden brown. Then just (patiently) let your galette rest, and finally, dig in…