With the abnormally cold April weather, I feel like everyone is doing everything they can to will spring to come sooner. I’ve started wearing brightly colored lipstick and lighter layers to no avail. All that wearing a lighter coat does is make you colder outside.
However, loading a quiche with cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, spinach, feta, and basil makes you believe that it’s at least beginning to look a bit like springtime. One can hope.
This recipe is also for my sister, Elizabeth, who has been bugging me to pass her my quiche recipe since I made it for our family on Christmas morning. Quiches are the best. They are super simple, able to take on endless variations, and perfect for every meal or snack of your day. They can be eaten room temperature or hot out of the oven or days later. They’re also are perfect for cleaning out the refrigerator. They basically throw themselves together.
Quiche Recipe for Liz
yields one quiche
My Go-To Crust (adapted from Alice Water’s The Art of Simple Food)
I’ve halved the recipe because you will only need a bottom crust for a quiche.
– 1/4 cup ice-cold water with just a dash of white vinegar – this is a tip from Joy the Baker to add to the flakiness of your crust. Promise you won’t taste the vinegar in the final product
– 1 cup all-purpose flour (or a mix of flours, or whatever you have – I used whole wheat this time and it was a bit too dense. Next time I might sift it or mix in a different flour)
– Big pinch of salt (recipe calls for 1/4 teaspoon, but I never measure salt)
– 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) of unsalted cold butter, cut into small pieces
Mix the flour with the salt and cut or work the butter into the flour with pastry blender or your hands, leaving some of the butter in fairly large, irregular pieces. I use my fingers to break up the butter, squeezing the pieces into the flour. The warmth of your hands will help the butter break down quickly and help you feel clumps that need breaking apart.
Pour 3/4 of the water into the butter-flour stirring as the dough begins to form clumps. Keep adding more water if needed for the dough to just come together – every flour is different, so feel it out. It is better to err on the side of slightly too wet, as it’s easy to add extra flour when rolling out the dough later.
Compress dough into a ball and refrigerate for 1 hour or longer. This is to keep the butter cold so that your crust has pockets of butter which create the flakiness.
On a well floured surface, roll out crust and place in floured pie dish.
What to put inside the crust –
Really, you can fill it with just about anything!! The one pictured has mushrooms, spinach, basil leaves, tomatoes, and feta. My recommendation is to put as many veggies as possible – if you do heavier greens, you should saute or steam them, like greens, broccoli, brussel sprouts, or even onions. If you do tomatoes, I would recommend cherry or grape tomatoes because they have less liquid. I also always include a cheese of some sort, melty cheese are great, like a good mozzarella or havarti. Feta is always a favorite. You could also do a meat if you like, bacon or ham works well.
– About 6 eggs, depending on your pie dish.
– And about 1/4 cup of milk, half and half, or heavy cream
– Salt & Pepper
Prepare your vegetables and put them in the crust in layers with the cheese. Whisk eggs and milk together, pouring over the filling.
Cook at 350 for approx. 45-50 mins. You’ll know it’s done when the center of the quiche no longer jiggles. Let stand for approx. 10 mins for the eggs to set. Season with Salt & Pepper and serve away!
You’re welcome, Elizabeth. Sorry it took so long.
consciously creating 