Quiche can be wholesome, too – and not soggy!

I’ve got two quiche posts (this is what happens when you buy 300mls of cream that you don’t really know what you should use in…) for you. Now, some of you may have had terrible quiche experiences from the past (soggy, soppy, sloppy…any combination of the three), but I am here to soothe your worries, and give you (almost) no excuse to try making one yourself – pastry and all (oh yes). In the interests of getting some goodness out of your pastry, I’ve added some wheatgerm to it. Wheatgerm is the stuff that is shimmied out when flour gets processed into white (unless you use stoneground). Obviously you can use a combo of wholemeal or white with some added wheatgerm. But it just means you get a slightly more interesting crust (which I promise, even the next day, is NOT soggy). Make sure to get wheatgerm that is refrigerated! Often they only bother at health food stores, but this keeps the wheatgerm stable for longer.

spring onion quiche on baked chips and roast veges

mushroom asparagus quiche with herbed roast potatoes and asparagus, and garlicky bok choy

The first was done in a 9″ tart pan, while the second in an 8″ springform pan, just to prove that you can use pretty much anything as a quiche pan! Recipe for both sized crusts are at the link below.

The great thing about these quiches is that they’re dead simple to make and keep until the next day quite well, and reheat just fine. So you can make one large quiche and not have to worry about any leftovers.

Crust

85g butter, softened and cubed
1 c plain flour
1/3 c wheatgerm
a few Tbs cold water

Rub butter and flour together with your fingertips until they resemble breadcrumbs. Add water one Tablespoon at a time, bringing things together to form a soft dough, stopping when flour is fully incorporated. Roll it out to a 11″ or 10″ diameter circle (if using a 9″ tart pan, use the 11″, if not, use 10″). Slip into your tart pan and set aside. Note: springform cake pans work just as well, although it’s harder to check if the bottoms are done.

Quiche fillings:
Spring onion and cheese
100ml cream, EDIT: or 100g creme fraiche, ricotta or cottage cheese
4 free range eggs
about 4 Tbs chopped spring onion
some grated cheese (any is good really, just not the plastic kind… *shudder*)
salt and pepper

Asparagus and mushroom
100ml cream, EDIT: or 100g creme fraiche, ricotta or cottage cheese
4 free range eggs
a pinch of nutmeg
approx 1 Tbs mustard
2-3 asparagus spears, sliced diagonally
4 mushrooms, sliced
grated parmesan cheese (to cover the base and top)
salt and pepper

Directions for both:
Preheat oven to 200C or 400F

Whisk eggs, cream, salt and pepper, mustard and nutmeg (if using). Pour into your tart pan and sprinkle over the rest of the ingredients. Pop in the oven in the center rack (or failing that, pop on the bottom rack for 5-10 minutes and the top rack for the remaining 20-30 minutes) for about 35-40 minutes until crust is golden and egg filling is not liquidy.

Comment if you want the recipe for garlicky bok choy (basically, oil, salt, garlic, bok choy), or crunchy baked chips.

Makes a great lunch/brunch the next day.

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