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This winter felt like the longest I've had to endure in the almost 30 years I've been in Canada.

It seems as though my garden has taken forever to emerge from the thick blanket of snow.

Our property backs onto a long, deep ravine of typical Ontario hardwood bush, where I introduced two large clumps of wild leeks four years ago. They were given to me by a colleague who has a place near Uxbridge absolutely brimming with the things, and each spring I look forward to marking their slow, steady progress.

Every fall, I scramble down the slope and rake away the fallen leaves from the base of the plants, exposing the rich loamy soil beneath.

Then, with a few well-placed flicks, I scatter the small black seeds from the single white flower that bloomed in early summer, and push them into the earth with my feet, covering them back up with the leaves.

Every year the leeks have spread, and this year I intend to dig out a few to eat. Not wishing to damage the plants too much, I sought out a little advice from an expert on the matter.

Jim Giggie has been supplying Scaramouche with wild leeks for more than 20 years. He personally harvests the leeks from privately owned land between Owen Sound and Flesherton and, to avoid over-harvesting, he methodically rotates the areas from which he takes the plants each year.

Jim usually takes a swath about a foot wide from the middle of a large patch, making sure to leave some mature plants. He believes this method stimulates new growth and reckons it takes five years for a patch to regenerate itself. His system seems to be working - the leeks we receive each spring are of the highest quality and seemingly abundant.

In a few weeks, when the sun has sufficiently warmed my side of the ravine, I will be scrambling down the bank again, this time with a small fork in hand to reap the reward I have been waiting for so patiently.

Wild leeks - or ramps, as they are sometimes known - have a much more pleasantly pungent garlic-onion flavour than their farmed counterparts. Early in the season, which runs from mid-April until mid- to late May, the entire plant is tender and edible.

At this stage I like to add them to sautés and risottos at the last moment, letting them wilt in the heat of the dish before serving.

As the season progresses, the leaves begin to look less appealing and the white base becomes more bulbous. This is the perfect time to pickle them for use later.

But my absolute favourite dish is one I leave to my wife, Belinda; those first leeks will be going into a quiche she makes with fresh morels, smoked bacon and thyme. The custard will be silky smooth, barely set and redolent of the woodland flavours of spring.

WILD LEEK AND MOREL QUICHE

What you need

9-inch tart ring pre-lined

and baked with pie pastry

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

4 ounces small wild leeks, washed and sliced coarsely

3 ounces fresh morels, split and cleaned, without washing

2 ounces double-smoked bacon, diced

1 teaspoon freshly chopped thyme

5 large eggs at room temperature

¼ cup 35-per-cent cream

¼ cup milk

2 ounces aged white cheddar cheese, grated

1 ounce parmesan cheese,

grated

Salt and pepper

WHAT YOU DO

Preheat the oven to 325 F.

Heat the oil in a frying pan, add the bacon and cook over medium heat for a few moments until fragrant. Add the morels, season with the salt and pepper and continue cooking until the mushrooms are lightly coloured and have given up any liquid they contain. Add leeks and thyme; continue cooking until leeks are limp and tender.

Remove from heat and check seasoning. Spread evenly on pastry and sprinkle with grated cheeses.

Beat eggs and mix in cream and milk; season with salt and pepper.

Pour into tart ring and bake on middle shelf of oven until just set (start checking at about 20 minutes). It should be slightly wobbly in the centre.

Remove and serve warm or at room temperature.

PICKLED WILD LEEKS

What you need

3 pounds cleaned wild leeks, white part only

½ cup kosher salt

2 cups sugar

½ teaspoon whole celery seeds

¼ teaspoon whole cloves

½ teaspoon mustard seed

4 cups cider vinegar

WHAT YOU DO

Cover leeks with cold water, add ¼ cup salt. Leave for 24 hours in refrigerator.

Drain off water and rinse leeks.

Combine all remaining ingredients in a stainless-steel pot, bring to a boil, add leeks, return to a boil, lower heat and simmer for about five minutes.

Pack in sterilized jars and place in a water bath.

Cool and refrigerate until ready to use.

Keith Froggett is co-owner and executive chef of Scaramouche in Toronto.

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Beppi's wine matches

As with many egg-based dishes, a dry sparkling wine would be best here. A good, affordable brand is Segura Viudas Brut Reserva from Spain ($15.84 in British Columbia; $14.85 in Ontario; $14.17 in Manitoba). Another viable choice is a classic wine served with quiche Lorraine, Alsatian pinot blanc, such as Pfaffenheim Pinot Blanc ($13.55 in Ontario). Eggs can get ugly with red wine - unless they're poached in it, as in the classic French dish oeufs en meurette. If you prefer red with this quiche, try a Beaujolais (or a New World gamay).