easy cornbread with wild garlic and za'atar

My recipe for easy cornbread with wild garlic and za'atar.  I love cornbread - a quick and easy bread recipe made with cornmeal/polenta.  A great accompaniment to stews and soups but also lovely with cheese and salads as a simple lunch idea, or for breakfast.   

I added wild garlic and za'atar to this cornbread recipe to accompany part of a Middle Eastern style mezze selection I was preparing for dinner...and as you may have noticed I am currently obsessed with wild garlic!  

Cornbread can take many flavour combinations - how about trying caramelised onion and goats cheese, Cheddar and bacon?  Or just leave it plain - I think it's delicious either way.  

For more handy information and safety tips about foraging for wild garlic check out my previous posts for wild garlic with tofu, aubergine and oyster sauce and wild garlic minestrone soup.  I also found Galloway wild foods really useful with a wealth of information about foraging for wild garlic and other edibles. 

Let me know how you get on, and any other flavours you would like to try.  

serves 3-4 
preparation time:  5 minutes
cooking time:  20-25 minutes
recipe author:  chip butties and noodle soup

ingredients:

1 cup plain flour
1 cup fine cornmeal/polenta
1 tbs baking powder
1 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup sugar/honey
2 eggs beaten
1 bunch wild garlic chopped (washed and cleaned well in cold running water) 
2 heaped tsp za'atar spice mix
salt and pepper

instructions:

1. heat the oven to 200C and grease a baking tin (about 20cm square size)
2. sieve the flour, cornmeal and baking powder into a large mixing bowl and add the za'atar and salt and pepper.
3. in a separate bowl mix together the eggs, sugar/honey, milk and vegetable oil.
4. add the two mixtures together with the chopped wild garlic and stir together quickly - do not over mix otherwise you will get a heavy cornbread.  
5. bake for about 20-25 minutes - until a skewer comes out clean and it's well risen
6. best served immediately!  

For other recipes using za'atar check out my za'atar roast potatoes and cumin roast lamb with za'atar spiced chickpeas.  

I am also entering this dish into the May herbs on Saturday challenge hosted by delicieux.  Organised by Karen at lavender and lovage.