I found an interesting site today called the True Cost of Food that talks about the hidden costs (to the planet, your health, community etc) of buying commercially grown, processed foods that are trucked or flown in from thousands of miles away. I ordered a copy of the full length DVD, but you can view part of the animation here. It’s pretty frightening, but enlightening stuff!
I haven’t explored the whole site yet, but I did find some yummy recipes for quiche, one of my favorite foods ever– yet something I don’t think I have ever attempted to make myself. I think I will go down to the produce stand and get some onions, and try my hand at making a broccoli quiche today.
Basic Vegetable Quiche
Makes 6 servings
Ingredients
9″ pastry, recipe below***
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped green or yellow onions
3 cups prepared vegetable, see Note
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/8 teaspoon freshly milled black pepper
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups half-and-half or whole milk
1 1/2 cups shredded Jarlsberg, Swiss, or your favorite cheese
Prepare pie crust. On a floured board, roll out pastry to make an 11-inch round; fit into a standard 9-inch pie plate. Fold edge over and flute.
Preheat oven to 375F. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and saute until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Stir in prepared vegetable and cook until hot through, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in flour, salt, thyme, and black pepper. Beat eggs until frothy in a medium bowl; brush a little egg over the bottom of the pie crust. Beat the half-and-half into the remaining eggs. Layer half of the cheese, the vegetable mixture, and the remaining cheese into the pie crust. Pour the cream mixture over all.
Bake quiche until center appears set when pie plate is gently tapped, 40 to 45 minutes. Set aside 5 minutes before cutting.
***Prepare pastry for 9-inch single-crust pie from one of the recipes below
Plain Pastry
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cold butter
4 to 6 tablespoons cold water
Combine flour, and salt in a medium bowl. Cut in butter with pastry blender or two knives until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle water over flour a little at a time and mix until pastry forms a ball when lightly pressed. Flatten dough, wrap, and chill at least 30 minutes.
Easy Whole-wheat Pastry
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 to 5 tablespoons cold water
Combine flour, and salt in a medium bowl. Stir in oil until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle water over flour a little at a time and mix until pastry forms a ball when lightly pressed. Flatten dough, wrap, and chill at least 30 minutes.
Note: Almost any vegetable or mixture of vegetables can be used in a quiche. If you are using asparagus, broccoli, celery, eggplant, fresh corn, bell peppers, summer squash, mushrooms, or zucchini, they should be sliced, added to the skillet raw, and sauteed with the onions. Carrots, green or yellow beans, peas, potatoes, sweet potatoes, or winter squash should be parboiled and drained thoroughly before adding. Greens such as arugula, beet greens, collards, kale, mustard, spinach, Swiss chard, or turnip greens should be steamed, simmered or stir-fried until wilted, thoroughly drained, and coarsely chopped before adding.
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