Cooking Cove: A fond memory of the French countryside and three quiches
By Barbara Beltrami
Of all my memories from my travels, one of the clearest and most poignant is a picnic lunch on a riverbank in the Dordogne area of France. After a long walk through meadows and the cobblestoned streets of tiny villages, across bridges and down rutted roads, what our guide had told us would be a modest lunch prepared by his fiancée turned out to be an incredibly sumptuous feast of everything one fantasizes about in such a setting.
I still remember the platters of freshly cut melon with delicate slices of ham, local farm fresh cheeses and butter, pates with cornichons, thick slices of juicy homegrown tomatoes and fresh picked delicate greens with just a touch of vinaigrette, long crusty baguettes still warm from the oven, ruby red cherries and the piece de resistance — not one but three different quiches made, of course, with vegetables from their garden, eggs from their chickens and cream from their cow.
I’ve made many a fancy lunch and many a quiche in my day, but none will ever come close to those. I have neither the quality of ingredients nor that setting with its perfect ambiance. But I have often tried to imitate if not duplicate those quiches. The recipes that follow for Quiche Lorraine, Zucchini Quiche and Spinach and Mushroom Quiche are the closest I’ve gotten. Bon appétit!
Quiche Lorraine
YIELD: Makes 6 to 8 servings
INGREDIENTS:
Pastry for one 9-inch pie
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
4 strips crispy cooked bacon, lightly crumbled
1 cup shredded Gruyere or Emmenthaler (Swiss) cheese
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
4 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups half-and-half
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Salt and freshly ground white pepper, to taste
DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 450 F. Line bottom and sides of a 9-inch quiche pan or pie plate with pastry and bake 5 minutes. In a small skillet, sauté onion in butter until softened and opaque. Sprinkle bacon, onion and cheeses over bottom of baked pastry. With a wire whisk thoroughly combine eggs, half-and-half, nutmeg and salt and pepper. Pour mixture onto pie crust. Bake the quiche 15 minutes at 450 F, then reduce oven temperature to 350 F and bake until a knife inserted in center comes out clean, about 10 to 15 minutes longer. Serve hot or warm with onion soup, arugula salad and a French baguette.
Zucchini Quiche
YIELD: Makes 6 to 8 servings.
INGREDIENTS:
One 9-inch pie crust
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
2/3–¾ lb zucchini, washed, halved lengthwise then very thinly sliced crosswise
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1½ cups half-and-half
3 large eggs
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
3 ounces Emmenthaler (Swiss), Jarlsberg or Gruyere cheese, shredded
DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 450 F. Line bottom and sides of 9-inch quiche pan or pie dish with pie crust and bake 5 minutes. In large skillet melt butter; add oil. Add zucchini and onion and sauté until tender and just starting to turn golden brown, about 5 to 7 minutes. In medium bowl, vigorously whisk together the half-and-half, eggs and salt and pepper. Sprinkle cheese, zucchini and onions evenly over bottom of crust. Pour in egg mixture. Bake at 450 F for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 F and bake another 10 to 15 minutes until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Serve with garlic bread and sliced tomatoes with olive oil, basil and vinegar.
Spinach and Mushroom Quiche
YIELD: Makes 6 to 8 servings
INGREDIENTS:
One 9-inch pie crust
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup cleaned fresh mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 cup cooked, drained and chopped fresh or frozen spinach
2/3 cup grated Emmenthaler (Swiss) cheese
1/3 cup crumbled blue or Roquefort cheese
1 3/4 cups half-and-half
3 eggs
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 450 F. Line bottom and sides of a 9-inch quiche pan or pie plate with crust and bake 5 minutes. In small skillet, melt butter, add mushrooms and sauté 5 minutes over medium heat. Remove from heat; add prepared spinach and toss with mushrooms and remaining melted butter to coat. Sprinkle evenly in pie dish, then sprinkle the two cheeses on top. In medium bowl, whisk together the half-and-half, eggs and salt and pepper. Pour into pie plate. Bake at 450 F for 10 minutes, then lower heat to 350 F and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes, until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Serve with a salad of fennel, endive, radicchio, fresh or dried fruits, chopped walnuts and a French baguette.
