Quiche

March 11, 2012
Classic Quiche Lorraine
Spinach strawberry salad
Cinnamon blueberry toast
Vella Chardonnay

Chocolate Chubbies with vanilla ice cream

Caryn was home from college this week for spring break. When I was thinking about Sunday dinner I texted her, before she left school, to find out if she would be having dinner with us.  Her boyfriend, Alex, lives nearby and her plans were still somewhat in flux so it can be hard to predict where she'll be on any particular day. I was pleased when she answered yes and asked her what she would like. "Ummmm, something delicious", she replied, "A quiche perhaps." I had never made quiche before but I was interested in trying. I also asked if she had gotten around to making Chocolate Chubbies; she and Alex had been wanting to make them since seeing my earlier blog post. She hadn't so that settled the dessert course.

I found a basic recipe for quiche that could be easily adapted to be meatless (Caryn is vegetarian) and which I would be able to make without a large investment of time. That was especially true since I wasn't going  to make the crust from scratch. We had purchased frozen crusts, they come in packages of two, when making chocolate pie a few weeks ago, and so still had one in the freezer. I had been thinking I should make another chocolate pie but now that will have to wait for another time.

The recipe called for cheese and bacon to be spread on the crust. The the custard mixture (eggs, milk, cream, salt, pepper, nutmeg) is then added and the quiche baked. It's pretty simple. I cooked bacon on the side for Diane and me and shredded gruyère to sprinkle on the crust. I wasn't sure how to handle the frozen crust. The recipe called for starting with a partially baked and warm crust. The instructions for the frozen crust, though, said to start with a frozen crust when making quiche and that is what I did. This may be why it took 15 minutes longer to bake than the recipe stated and why the bottom crust wasn't baked thoroughly. We ate the quiche warm.

To accompany the quiche we had some delicious cinammon toast. The bread comes from a local bakery but it has become so popular that it is now sold in supermarkets. This is the first time I've had the blueberry cinnamon bread and I thought the berries added a nice extra touch of sweetness. I first saw their cinnamon bread in a local farmer's market and then later in a locally owned grocery store. Only recently has it made it to the supermarket. I've never visited the bakery itself, it is not nearby (San Jose is a big town), but I should. Based on the quality of the cinnamon bread they're sure to have other delectable items worth trying.

We had received a box of fresh produce from Farm Fresh to You a few days earlier and Caryn took advantage of it to make a nice salad. It included spinach and strawberries from the box to which she added sunflower seeds, Cougar Gold cheese (from Washington State University), and balsamic vinegar.

The Chocolate Chubbies were served for dessert with Breyers Natural Vanilla ice cream. I skipped the pecans because of their cost and used just walnuts ... not quite as good but not bad either.

Caryn was disappointed a little in the quiche, I think. She has been eating quiche from a bakery where she goes to school and it always includes vegetables, which this one was lacking. I intentionally chose to make a simple quiche since it was my first time. However, the meal as a whole was very good, thanks in no small part to her salad making. It was nice to have her home for a while and we miss her now that she's returned to college.

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Recipes
Classic Quiche Lorraine, Cook's Illustrated Cookbook, 2011, page 546
Chocolate Chubbies from Serious Eats

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Food for thought?
Round, or square ... what is the best shape for a wooden spoon? Read Chef John's thoughts and watch the fun video at Food Wishes.