Quiche is a rather adaptable dish. You can make them light or heavy, with or without crust. You can, and should, alter this recipe to suit your available seasonal ingredients and individual tastes. Just keep these proportions in mind:
- Use about 2 whole eggs per cup of liquid (extra-soft cheeses count as liquids).
- Maintain roughly equal proportions of liquids and filler ingredients, such as meats, vegetables and cheese.
- Pre-cook any raw meats or ingredients that would add water to the quiche as they cook, such as tomatoes and zucchini.
- Pre-cooking steps can be done in advance, even a day or two before.
Ingredients:
About 6 medium tomatoes
or 12 paste tomatoes, sliced in halves or quarters, seeds and juice removed
4 cloves garlic,
peeled
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt and freshly
ground black pepper
Handful fresh garden
herbs, such as basil, oregano, marjoram and parsley, chopped
6 whole eggs, lightly
beaten
3 cups milk
1/2 cup grated cheese,
such as Parmesan or Gruyère
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 225 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the herbs in a container
with the milk to steep in the refrigerator. Put the tomatoes and garlic in a
baking dish and toss them with the oil. Season with a couple of generous
pinches of salt and a several twists of freshly ground pepper. Let the tomatoes
roast for several hours, until they are completely shriveled but still a little
moist. When the tomatoes have cooled, coarsely chop the mixture.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Beat the eggs, then whisk
in the milk and herbs. Pour the mixture into a buttered pie plate. Set the
plate inside a larger roasting pan. Fill the pan with water until it reaches
about halfway up exterior of the pie pan. This method of baking in a bain-marie moderates the oven
temperature to ensure a delicate custard. Bake until the quiche is puffed up
and golden, but still a bit jiggly in the center, about 25 to 35 minutes. Serves 6 to 8.
See Also: Check out our June/July issue for even more egg recipes, including the Bacon, Blue Cheese, Lemon and Leek Quiche pictured above (left).
Photo by Tim Nauman Photography
