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| End-of-summer fun in the kitchen. |
As busy as we’ve been in the back-to-school scramble, I’ve still been able to find peace in my kitchen.
The ritual tying of the apron, doing an inventory of ingredients in stock and choosing recipes is relaxing; it puts me at ease. Then, of course, there’s the eating part. No denying that’s fun…when the recipes work out.
This weekend I needed to use up our seasonal bounty of zucchini, tomatoes and cucumbers. I almost made zucchini muffins, but was on the hunt for something a bit more savory. So I tried this recipe at Erin Cooks for zucchini and tomato quiche.
I only modified the recipe slightly. And I made my own crust, a very simple yogurt pie crust, from a recipe I picked up at Victory Acres on my last trip to The Farm. I enjoyed the herbs and cheeses with the fresh zucchini and heirloom tomatoes. But the yogurt crust is what really brought this one home. The tanginess of the Greek yogurt is subtle, but very complimentary to this particular dish.
Zucchini & Tomato Quiche with Greek Yogurt Pie Crust
1 Tbs olive oil
1 large onion, diced
4 tomatoes, sliced, lightly salted and patted dry between paper towels
2 medium zucchini, sliced
1 medium tomato chopped with pieces patted dry (or a 1/2 pint grape tomatoes)
3/4 tsp kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
4 eggs
3/4 cup half-and-half
8 ounces Gruyère & Swiss, grated
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 yogurt pie crusts
Preheat oven to 375°. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, zucchini and 1/2 tsp of salt, plus 1/4 tsp pepper. Cover and cook until onions and zucchini soften (about 5-7 minutes).
In a separate bowl, whisk eggs and half-and-half. Stir in the cheese (don’t forget to sample for quality control). Add herbs, nutmeg, the rest of the salt and pepper and then the zucchini mixture.
Fill pie crusts and top with tomato slices or grape tomatoes. Bake for about 40 minutes or until knife comes out clean.
Yogurt Pie Crust (single, deep dish pie crust)
2 cups flour
4 Tbs sugar
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup oil
6 Tsp plain Greek yogurt
Mix dry ingredients, make a well. Add wet ingredients and mix until dough forms a ball. Refrigerate in plastic wrap for 20 minutes (optional). Roll dough between two sheets of wax paper.
Oh, I almost forgot. So what did we do with the cucumbers? I delegated that ingredient to the iFarmer, who found a recipe on CHOW for cucumber margaritas. Such a refreshing summer drink, especially alongside this garden-fresh meal.
Virtual Farmgirl 