Green Garlic and Spring Onion Bread Pudding
This savory bread pudding is a gorgeous vegetarian main dish, or hearty side dish. This particular version starts with an olive and herb loaf from Brickmaiden. But any hearty loaf works—it’s a great way to use up a loaf that’s getting stale.
Green garlic and spring onion perfume the Straus dairy and Gilardri eggs with their gentle but pungent aroma and flavor. Swiss chard is a leafy addition to round the whole thing out.
Savory bread pudding is often crowned with a layer of cheese, but we’re opting to dot the top with butter instead. Skipping the cheese allows the flavors of the garlic and onion to sing, and you still get that rich, crispy topping.
Ingredients and Farms
1 1-pound loaf rustic bread, preferably stale - $9.50, Brickmaiden Breads
1 bunch spring onion - $3, Vasquez Organic Farm
4 spring garlic - $2, Fiddler’s Green Farm
1 bunch chard - $3, Iacopi Farms
4 tablespoons butter, divided - $1, Straus Family Creamery
6 eggs - $5, Gilardi Farms
2 cups half and half - $6.50, Straus Family Creamery
1 cup whole milk - $1.75, Straus Family Creamery
Salt and pepper
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350°. Grease a 2 ½ quart casserole dish.
Tear the loaf of bread into bite sized pieces. If your bread is fresh, spread it out on a wire rack set over a baking sheet. Bake it for 15 minutes, remove from the oven and let cool.
While the bread is cooling, finely chop the spring onion and green garlic. Melt two tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped green garlic and spring onion and cook until soft, 3-4 minutes. Chop the chard leaves and add to the skillet. Season with salt and pepper and cook until wilted, 5-7 minutes. Set aside.
Crack the eggs into a large bowl and whisk well. Add the half and half and milk and whisk until combined. Season with salt and pepper. Add the torn bread and the vegetables to the milk and eggs. Mix thoroughly. Spoon into the prepared baking dish, distributing the vegetables through the bread evenly. Pour over the remaining milk and eggs. Let sit for 15-30 minutes.
Thinly slice the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Place across the top of the bread pudding. Bake until cooked through and nicely brown on top, about 1 hour. Let cool at least 15 minutes before serving.
Enjoy!
Recipe by Meleyna Nomura