Scribbles & Munch

      So Wednesday morning, as we're getting dressed for our respective day's activities, my spouse informs me that Thursday there is to be a potluck at his place of work. Their third in three weeks. Translation: "Honey I need a good review from these people, and you know the Laws of Potlucks--I've rocked the last two thanks to you, don't forsake me now!" So I immediately start thinking of what odds and ends I can throw together into something cheap, fast, and impressive...and then my husband mentioned that his superior has, and I quote, "declared it will be a 'holiday themed' potluck." Translation: Christmas themed. Two weeks before Thanksgiving.
      Insert rant about Americans not giving other holidays their due because they are so obsessed with friggin' Christmas starting around, oh, JULY these days!
      But of course, I have my pride, and no husband of mine will go to a potluck armed with purchased salsa and red and green tortilla chips....
      Insert rant about workplaces taking the Christian majority for granted and celebrating without concern for other spiritual faiths.
      As it happens, I do celebrate Christmas*--but I don't appreciate it when people ASSUME that I celebrate Christmas. So the first thing I said was, "Can I make you Star of David cookies?" My husband was concerned about ruffling feathers right before he received his crucial performance reviews, so that was out. My next question was, "Can I make 'Nightmare Before Christmas' themed food?" He said yes, if I could think of anything...and given my limited time, I was unable to do so. So instead I fell back on the usual pie.
      To be specific: quiche.
      Yes, quiche is a pie. It is a savory custard pie that people often eat for brunch. And it can be very easy to mess up, which is why some people simply refuse to make it. The first challenge is the crust, of course, but we've already got that under our belt. The second challenge is the custard, which can turn out rubbery, salty, cracked, or weepy if not done properly. Then there's the rest of the filling, which - due to volume, moisture, salt and/or oil content - may be the reason the custard didn't turn out right! I struggled with quiches for years, trying recipe after recipe but never getting it to turn out the way I wanted.
      And then, Alton Brown came to my rescue. In the Good Eats episode "Egg Files II: Man with a Flan" he explained the importance of balancing egg protein with milk fat, and ensuring the rest of your filling is relatively dry. Fresh tomatoes, for example, contain a bunch of water, which then cooks into your custard and ruins it. Certain cheeses present a similar problem with their salt and oil content. I have stuck to his advice and enjoyed tender, tasty quiches ever since, so tossing together a red and green quiche (feel free to roll your eyes, I did) was easy. Don't be put off by the filling I chose--just trust me. The flavor will exceed your expectations!

Z.D.'s Roasted Broccoli & Sun-dried Tomato Quiche

Ingredients:
1 round of pie dough
1 Cup roasted broccoli florets, chopped**
1/2 Cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1 Cup half-and-half (the real stuff, none of this "fat free" atrocity)
2 eggs
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt, scant
generous pinch grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper (about 20 twists of the grinder)
1/2 Cup loosely packed shredded gouda cheese (or 1/3 Cup gruyere)

I chose these ingredients because they were what I had in my fridge at the time.

Directions:
 - Pre-heat your oven to 350º F. On a lightly floured surface, roll out your pie dough to fit a 9 inch pie plate, & lay it evenly within. Scatter broccoli & sun-dried tomatoes evenly along the bottom of your crust.

 - In a medium bowl (or a large liquid measuring cup, as I prefer), beat the half-&-half with the eggs until the liquid is smooth & an even buttery color. Beat in the salt & nutmeg (the nutmeg is a French touch, & oddly enough it adds a lot).

 - Pour the custard into the pie crust. It should only come about 1/2 to 2/3rd's of the way up the sides, which is just right--the eggs expand while baking & you don't want it to overflow. Grind your pepper over the top, then scatter your cheese evenly over that. Roll down or style the edges of your crust any way you like (I like to roll down because it curls over as it bakes, giving it a nice enclosed look).

The creamy gouda compliments the roasty sweetness of the broccoli & acidity of the tomatoes, but due to its oil content it needed to be sprinkled on top instead of stirred into the filling.

 - Put the quiche on the lowest shelf in your oven OR, if you have the nerve, on the bottom of your oven. The reason? One common problem with quiche is that the bottom crust gets soggy as it absorbs liquid during the baking process. To prevent this, you want the bottom to cook faster. Hence the lower position in the oven. Bake for 45 minutes. The filling should set to a firmness like just-set gelatin, with the crust just lightly browned. Cool for at at least 15 minutes, store covered in the fridge for up to three days.

See how pretty it is! And because it has broccoli you can pretend it's healthy!

      With Thanksgiving coming up, many people will have out-of-town guests, and very busy kitchens. A quiche (like this one) can be thrown together a day in advance, and offers an easy breakfast or lunch option. I suggest making a vegetarian quiche and serving with a platter of fresh fruit and some slices of ham, with freshly brewed coffee. Voila, an easy, classy way to start your holiday!
      Oh, and incidentally, everyone at the potluck loved the quiche. They left me one itty-bitty slice which looks like it wasn't even cut from the middle...I guess that means compliments to the chef? (I should have told them it was a Kwanzaa quiche....)


*Actually, I celebrate a lot of things--I like any excuse to decorate, dress up, feast, and feel grateful!

**Roasting broccoli is a very tasty preparation. Pre-heat your oven to 375º F, wash and cut up some fresh broccoli (don't leave out the stems, they're the best part! Just peel off the tough outer skin and dice the tender inner stalk), making the florets roughly one inch in size. Toss with a couple tablespoons of olive oil, spread in a rimmed baking dish, sprinkle with a couple pinches of kosher salt and pop 'em in the oven for 30 minutes. Stir every ten minutes so they roast evenly. When done, they'll be tender, browned in spots, and a little shrunken. Roasting brings out the sugars, so you'll have surprisingly yummy broccoli, less bitter than usual. Save a cup of the florets for this quiche!