Pesto, Cheese, Bacon Quiche

Pesto, Cheese, Bacon Quiche

Rachel and her daughters were to come for lunch today and 6 inches of snow was predicted for southern Maine starting at 1:00 this morning. I didn’t get to the market yesterday, and wasn’t certain we’d be plowed out early enough, so planned a menu based on what I had on hand: ingredients for quiche and salad. The storm pushed off shore before it got to Maine, but I went ahead with quiche because it meant being able to share a great recipe for GF crust. I apologize in advance for the use of Crisco, but trust me it helps. The recipe below makes enough for a two-crust pie. I used one half for the quiche and divided the other in two for small Rustic Fruit Tarts (another post!) Substitute sauteed mushrooms or broccoli for the bacon if you prefer.

Crust

Ingredients:

2 ½ Cups (15 oz.) GF Flour Mix (set aside 1 cup in a small bowl.)

1 Tablespoon sugar (2 if you’re using the crust for a pie.)

1 Tablespoon salt

½ teaspoon xantham gum

12 Tablespoons COLD unsalted butter (out of the freezer is fine.)

¼ cup (2 oz.) vegetable shortening (arghhh: I use Crisco.)

3 Tablespoons iced water

3 Tablespoons vodka (better if it’s cold, but don’t worry if yours is room temp.)

Directions:

Measure 1 ½ cups GF flour mix into the bowl of a food processor.
Add the sugar, salt and xantham gum. Pulse to blend.
Add the butter and shortening and blend until it’s the consistency of corn meal, perhaps a little “clumpier.”
Add the reserved 1cup of GF flour and pulse to blend.
Sprinkle the vodka and water over the flour mix and mix just until the a dough is formed that pulls from the sides of the “bowl.”
Turn the dough out onto a GF floured surface and knead several times to incorporate enough flour so the dough is easily handled.
Divide in half, pat into disks, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for an hour. (The dough will keep refrigerated for up to three days. It can be frozen for up to two months.)
Set the oven to 350F.
Roll out the dough between two pieces of plastic wrap. This is a useful step because GF dough falls apart easily.
Using plastic wrap as a base transfer the dough to the pie plate. Don’t worry if small pieces fall off – they’re easily patched onto the unbaked crust. Pat and crimp the edges evenly. Coat with a thin layer of egg wash (using one of the eggs you’ll incorporate into the filling.)
Bake at 350 for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool whilst you prepare the filling.

Filling:

6 large organic eggs – good eggs make a difference! (You will have used part of one of the eggs to brush on the unbaked pie crust before pre-baking.)

1 cup heavy cream

1 cup half & half

¾ cup grated Cheddar cheese

¾ cup grated Swiss cheese

4 pieces of cooked bacon (optional)

2 tablespoons pesto (see the recipe for Christmas Eve torte for our pesto recipe.)

2 tablespoons diced onion

1 tablespoon GF Flour Mix

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground pepper

Directions:

Reduce the heat in the oven to 325 F.
In a medium sized mixing bowl beat the eggs with a whisk or hand rotary mixer.
Add the heavy cream, half & half, GF flour, salt, and pepper.
In the cooled crust layer the bacon, onion, cheeses, and dot with pesto.
Pour the egg and cream mixture over the filling, making certain to whisk it with the beater or a fork to incorporate the salt or pepper that has fallen to the bottom.
Bake at 325 for 45-50 minutes or until lightly browned and fairly “set.”
Let rest 5 minutes before cutting, or let cool and serve at room temperature.

P.S. I served a salad of field greens, shaved fennel, avocado, fresh dill (snipped) tossed with a champagne vinaigrette. Yep, it was pretty good! Hermits for dessert, again that recipe is for another day.