A slice for a friend

There's this girl I'm thinking about a lot today. She's an incredibly strong, talented, happy, generous, and generally fantastic person who's coming to the end of what I understand to have been a really, really rough year. She's also an absurdly good writer and a creative and talented cook. And she takes good photos. What I'm trying to say is that she's quickly ascending my list of Inspiring People.

One thing that makes her blog memorable (among many many memorable things) is the occasional post she dedicates to someone she's thinking of or who has a birthday or needs cheering up. So, I'm going to unashamedly copy her and say, Jess, this post is for you!

Jess is creative and thoughtful in just about everything she does and she definitely doesn't seem to be the type to be afraid to try something new. So, I thought, wouldn't it be fitting to pay her a little tribute and do something creative and new and be unafraid about it. So I decided to make quiche.

Yes, this is not a new dish. I'm not inventing something earth-shattering (Don't get me wrong, quiche is earth shattering, but I can't take credit for it, alas.), but I've never made it before and I've always been slightly intimidated by the prospect of it. But today I closed the book of fraidy-cat-ness and plunged right in. Thanks, Jess, for the inspiration. We're thinking lots of warm thoughts for you and we'll save you a slice till you're back to the blogs. Happy Humpty Dumpty Day!

Quiche with all the goodiesIngredients:

for the crust

• 1 1/4 c flour
• 1/2 c (1 stick) butter, chilled
• 4 T ice water
• 1/4 t salt

for the filling

• 5 eggs
• 1 c whole milk
• 1 c half and half
• salt and pepper
• handful fresh rosemary, chopped
• 2 small onions
• 1 small head broccoli
• 5 slices prociutto
• small block feta
  

1. Make the crust. As with pie crust, process the flour, salt, and butter in a food processor until crumb-like in consistency. Add ice water and process until dough ball starts to form. Form dough into flattened ball, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for an hour.
2. Meanwhile, slice the onions thinly, either by hand or in the food processor. Heat olive oil and 1 T butter in a pan and stir in the sliced onions, salt to taste and a spoonful of brown sugar. Cook on medium heat, stirring frequently, until the onions have fully caramelized and are dark brown in color. Set them aside.
3. Chop the prociutto, broccoli, and feta quite finely, either by hand or in the food processor.
4. Roll out the pie dough and press into a quiche or pie pan (I used a glass deep dish pie plate).
5. Bake the pie dough for 5 minutes at 375.
6. Meanwhile, beat together the eggs, milk, half and half, rosemary, salt and pepper.
7. Remove the partially baked crust from the oven and spread dry fillings (cheese, prociutto, broccoli, onions) in the crust.
8. Reduce oven temperature to 350. Place the filled crust back onto the middle rack of the oven and pour the egg mixture over fillings up to about 1/4 inch from the top of the crust.
9. Bake the quiche for about 45 (40-50) minutes or until a) crust is golden brown, b) a knife inserted about 1" from the edge comes out clean, and/or c) the middle is set, but still a little jiggly, like jello.
10. I like to let it cool a little and serve it up while warm.