Quiche

One of the things I really enjoy making is Quiche. I always have ingredients on hand to make one and it is a good way to use leftover bits of cheese and vegetables--the combinations are endless. Quiche is a good "crossover" dish. It can be served for breakfast, lunch, or a light supper. It's great during the changing of seasons when you are having those, can't figure out what to cook days. It is equally delicious piping hot from the oven or well-chilled for a picnic.

Because I have made so many quiches over the years, I have many memories attached to the dish. I once worked as the Cafe Cook in a very large Natural Foods Store, where one of my jobs was making the quiche of the day. I was given creative license and proceeded to put together many combinations of ingredients. People loved my quiches and I was very proud of them.

A recent memory involves a former coworker, Sam, who had to undergo chemotherapy and radiation and was out of work for about three months. His wife, Judy, also worked with us and I talked (listened) with her, daily, about Sam's progress and setbacks, and her own emotions, as he convalesced.

Prior to Sam's becoming ill, the three of us often had lunch together in the breakroom. One day, Sam became quite fascinated by a slice of leftover quiche I had brought for lunch. He'd never heard of it and asked a lot of questions. He asked for a recipe, which I provided. Over the next several days he would come by my office and ask questions like, "Can you use sausage?" "Can I use a bag of frozen mixed vegetables?" I assured him that yes, he could.

It was not long after that Sam was diagnosed and began treatment. He became very sick and lost an alarming amount of weight very quickly. As Judy and I talked, I suggested things he may be able to eat. One day I made him a quiche. A couple days later, Judy told me that it had been the first thing Sam had been able to eat, enjoy, and keep down, in weeks. I continued to make quiches for him on a regular basis.

I was very humbled, when Sam was well enough to come back to work, and told me, "That quiche was a life saver."

Quiche

1 pie crust

8 oz. cheese

3 eggs, beaten

1 1/2 cups cream

vegetables and seasonings of choice

Prick the pie crust, all over, with a fork and bake for five minutes only, in a preheated 450 degree oven. Grate or crumble the cheese and place over crust. Placing the cheese directly on the crust forms a barrier and prevents the crust from becoming soggy. Arrange seasoned, sauteed vegetables of your choosing on top of the cheese. Mix together the eggs and cream and pour over the vegetables. Bake at 450 for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350, and continue to bake 15 to 30 minutes, until a knife inserted in the center of the quiche comes out clean.

This quiche is made with cheddar cheese, leftover hash brown potatoes and spinach.

Go ahead and experiment with quiche baking. It's fun. . .broccoli and blue cheese, spinach and feta, apple and white cheddar, carmelized onion, the list goes on.

Cornbread Tuna Melt

Here's a quick and easy one, for those busy evenings. Make a batch of cornbread, even a box of Jiffy mix. While that is baking, make up your favorite tuna salad recipe. When the cornbread is done, cut into servings and top with a scoop of tuna salad. Top with a slice of tomato (avocado is delicious here) then cheese and melt under the broiler.

Summer Squash Pickles

Summer Squash Pickles

8 cups sliced summer squash
2 cups sliced sweet onion
1 Tbsp. sea salt (or kosher salt)
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
2 cups apple cider vinegar
2 cups sugar
2 tsp. mixed pickling spices

Combine the squash and onions in a very large bowl. Sprinkle with the salt and set aside for one hour. Bring remaining ingredients to a boil and stir until sugar is dissolved. Stir in the squash and onions and bring to a simmer. Pack into hot sterilized jars, following lid manufacturer's directions for sealing and adjusting the lids. Process in boiling water for time recommended

These pickles are delicious with roasted meats.

Clinging to the Final Throes of Summer

I am not one of the people who look forward to the end of summer and the beginning of fall, with the cooler temperatures. I love summer and I never want it to end. I wince at the first sight of a pumpkin.

A trip to the Farmers Market, last week, yielded what is probably about the last of the summer vegetables, which I made into soup for the winter. I got out my biggest pot and starting building the layers.

First the tomatoes

Then the onions

The okra

Potatoes go in

Tiny sliced eggplant are layered on

Corn is added

And lastly, the squash

I covered the pan and brought it to a simmer. After the vegetables started softening, I added some sea salt, and after about an hour, I had soup ready to be canned. In the winter, meat, grains, garlic, spices or other ingredients can be added to make a more substantial soup or stew.

The soup

Home Canned Summer Tomatoes

What is better than a vine ripened summer tomato? Rather, what is second to a vine ripened summer tomato? Jars of vine ripened summer tomatoes, home canned. Popping open one of these beauties, in winter, when it is freezing outside, releases the aroma of summer tomatoes and the memory of sun filled days.

I want to share my enthusiam for home canning, and some advice from my experience. I do my canning following the guidelines of the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service, as well as the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Please educate yourself on safe food handling and canning practices before beginning a project such as this. There is a lot of work involved, and the last thing you want is having your jars of food spoiling.



Begin with perfect fruit and wash thoroughly with fresh water and a vegetable brush.


To peel, plunge the fruits into boiling water, then into cold water, the skins will slip right off.

Core the tomatoes, slice if desired, and bring to a boil.

While working on your tomatoes, sterilize your clean jars in simmering water and keep hot until ready to pack. Follow manufacturer's directions for the lids, some want to be boiled, some not, depending on the sealing compound used.

Process your jars of tomatoes according to the recommendations of your area. I live at a higher altitude, so have to process a little longer than some may.

The pops and pings of the jars sealing is musical and satisfying.

I bought 2 twenty-five pound boxes of tomatoes at the Farmers Market for $8 each and I got 10 quarts of tomatoes from each one. I already had the jars, most passed along to me from my Mother-in-law, Phloxy, who no longer cans. With the cost of lids (cheap) and fuel, I still spent less than $1 per quart of tomatoes.

And I have provenance.