Greens and Goat Cheese Quiche
For me, the start of summer always leads to a bit of overexcitement at the abundance and quality of vegetables at the market. After months of hydroponic salads, tasting bitter dandelion greens, intensely vegetal kale, sweet and earthy chard or even cooking up the tops from a bunch of beets, still clinging to their dirt, just reminds me of what vegetables are supposed to taste like. The downside is that at some point the crisper is near overflowing with odds and ends of various bunches. This quick and healthy quiche is a great way to take all that bountiful goodness and pack it into a simple starter or light supper.
Pairing Notes:
This dish is all herbal, vegetal goodness and the soft, mild goat cheese on top is the fatty, creaminess that binds it all together. A classic wine pairing in this case would be a Sauvignon Blanc or if you want to go full French, opt for a Sancerre. A Sardinian Vermentino would be a nice alternative for a richer choice. For Chardonnay lovers, a lighter option is the surprisingly crisp Domaine Jobeline Mâcon Verzé Allure 2018 from Burgundy. This bottle in the July 2022 TOASST Box will pair with a grazing table full of brunch gems including smoked salmon, crab cakes, and this delightful quiche.
Time: 1.5 hours
Yield: 4 - 6 servings
Ingredients:
Pre-made pastry crust for one pie
500 grams greens (kale, beet greens, swiss chard, dandelion greens)
1 bunch spring onions
2 T. olive oil
Salt
Pepper
2 egg yolks
2 whole eggs
150 ml. whole milk
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves
½ bunch of flat leaf parsley, chopped
½ cup grated Pecorino
1 T. butter
100 grams soft goat cheese
Pre-heat oven to 375°F/190°C.
Roll out pastry and place in buttered and floured pie tin or use premade and shaped frozen pie crust already in a tin. Bake for approximately 15 minutes until golden on top. Let cool slightly. Lower oven temperature to 350°F/175°C.
Meanwhile, remove stems from greens leaving just the leaves. Wash thoroughly. Finely chop greens into strips.
Wash and thinly slice the spring onions, both the whites and greens.
Heat oil in a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Add greens and spring onions. Add a bit of salt and pepper then sauté stirring frequently, until greens soften, about 10 minutes.
While greens are cooking, in a large bowl whisk together egg yolks, eggs, milk, plus a bit of salt and pepper.
Mince garlic. Remove leaves from the thyme and discard the woody stem. Wash, thoroughly dry and roughly shop parsley.
When the greens are sufficiently wilted, add a pat of butter to the pan, stirring with a wooden spoon to lift any brown bits off the bottom of the pan, until the butter is melted. Add the garlic and thyme, stirring until garlic softens, about two minutes.
Stir the chopped parsley and Pecorino into the egg and milk mixture followed by the wilted greens. Poor the whole mixture into the prepared pie crust.
Slice goat cheese into rounds about 2cm thick and place on the top of quiche, nestling down slightly into the greens.
Place the quiche in the oven on a middle rack. Bake for 30 minutes. Check for doneness and browning. If cheese has not browned sufficiently, raise the temperature to 375°F/190°C for the last 10 minutes just until center of the quick is set and the cheese has browned at the edges.
Let cool slightly before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature. Can make a nice first course or light supper along a tomato salad.