Farmer's Market Quiche

This isn't the quiche I made from this recipe - we devoured the quiche before I took a photo!

But I did make this with supplies from the Columbus, OH farmers market so I think it's fair.

This weekend I celebrated the first day of spring with a trip to the Calgary Farmer's Market. Impressed with myself for saving money by spending a weekend in the city instead of snowboarding, I was amazed to walk away from the market with two heavy bags and an empty wallet. I realize I haven't been blogging lately (I've been quite busy - my grandmother was concerned and inquired with my mother, who thought I was in Arizona for some reason. I'm here, just really busy with snowboarding, Dine Out Calgary, school, work, trivia competitions, St. Patrick's day and general revelry) but rest assured I will post at least another 2 entries this week. I have a lot of groceries to use!

Ingredients - pastry:

- 1 cup flour

- 1/2 cup cold butter or shortening (I like to use 1/4 of each)

- 1/4 cup cold water

- pinch of salt

Ingredients - quiche:

- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced into quarters

- 1/2 cup chopped basil

- 2 chopped green onions

- 1 shallot

- 1/4 cup heavy cream

- 5 eggs

- 2 cups grated smoked gouda

I taught myself how to make pastry last year and went through a period where I made quiche every Saturday morning (you would be surprised how effective an alternative to "clean out the fridge" soup quiche is!). I'm convinced the difficulty of making pie pastry is a more myth than fact, however it is much easier to make with a stand mixer. If you don't have one, follow the same directions below, but use two knives to cut through the butter and flour so it remains clumpy (using a mixing spoon will result in blending the butter and flour together, and your pastry will not be flaky). To make this pastry for a sweet pie, just add a bit of sugar instead of salt to the pastry. Or you can just keep some frozen pie shells around, but it won't be as good (and you'll miss the satisfaction of knowing you did it yourself).

1. Mix flour and butter and salt on low speed until mixture becomes "chunky" or "crumbly".

2. Add water and continue mixing until dough forms one clump, but not is not fully blended.

3. Lightly flour a countertop and rolling pin. Place dough on floured surface and roll until it is slightly larger than the pie dish (I use a 9" dish, which is the most common). You will have to flip it a few times and re-flour the counter and rolling pin. Just try to handle it as little as possible - the heat from your hands will warm the pastry and cause the butter to melt.

4. Once dough is the correct size, place in pie dish and pull edges so they are slightly higher than the pie dish. Poke holes in the bottom of the shell using a fork - this will let steam escape while the pie shell bakes.

5. Bake at 425 F for approximately 15 minutes, or until crust is just barely starting to develop a golden colour around the edges.

To make quiche, you can really use any combination of vegetables and cheeses. Some of my favourites are: feta, broccoli, and red onion; chive, tomato, spinach and cheddar; blue cheese and pear; roasted red pepper, asparagus and goat cheese etc. Seriously, just clean out your fridge and get creative! You can use a bit of skim milk instead of cream, it won't be as rich. I've also had a friend suggest I use creme fraiche, which I imagine would be incredibly rich.

1. Sautee the shallot in butter until soft - add to the bottom of pre-cooked pie shell.

2. Layer the other ingredients in the shell, alternating cheese and vegetables.

3. Crack 5 eggs into a mixing bowl and add cream. Whisk to combine and pour on top of pie.

4. Bake at 425 F for 35-40 minutes, or until top of quiche is golden and starting to crisp around the edges and a knife inserted into the middle comes out clean (no uncooked egg residue).

5. Cool before eating. Can serve with a side salad or asparagus, or a fruit bowl.

Wine notes - I paired this with a 2007 "Smoking Loon" Chardonnay from Napa Valley, CA. I think the richness of quiche needs a strong white wine, preferably with some oak. I really like the Smoking Loon Viognier and decided to try their Chardonnay. This straw coloured wine opens with a bouquet of floral and spice, which follows through on the palette along with citrus, pit fruits and a medium acidity. Although refreshing and not at all a bad choice, I was disappointed this wine did not offer the buttery notes that are so characteristic to oak-aged Chardonnay. Sandhill is still my current favourite.