Spinach and Beet Greens Quiche

Serves 8

Quiche is one of my favorite speedy meals, also great for freezer dinners and for using up wilty veg. The latter was my motivation this time—loads of spinach and beet greens were about to go to waste until I girded my loins and put two quiches together. Needless to say, one is in the freezer for after the tiny bundle arrives. My favorite all-time quiche recipe is from Mark Bittman—it’s supremely indulgent, no-fail, and very rich. I don’t use it every time—in fact that’s what I like about quiche. You can mix a few eggs, some form of milk (skim, whole, half and half, whatever), and some cheese, and it will always turn out delicious. But if you’re aiming to impress, I recommend following this one.

Crust:

1 1/2 C flour (whole grain flours work well)

1 C cold butter cut into chunks

1/2 tsp salt

4-6 Tbs ice water

Filling:

1 onion, chopped

1 bunch spinach, washed, rinsed and chopped

1 bunch beet greens, washed, rinsed and chopped

6 eggs

2 C grated Swiss cheese (Jarlsburg, Emmenthal, Gruyere are all good choices)

2 C milk or half and half

1/2 tsp salt

Combine flour, butter and salt in your food processor and process until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Slowly add ice water while processing until dough comes together in a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill one hour (I admit, I NEVER do this, but I’m sure it makes for an extra flaky and delicious crust). Preheat oven to 425. Roll the dough out to fit a 9-in pie pan or a 10-in tart pan (again, I’m such a lazy bastard, I always just press the dough in with my fingers, which makes for an ugly, ugly crust, but whose homemade aesthetic touches my heartstrings). Prick crust with a fork and bake for 15 minutes (lots of people cover it with foil and weigh it with beans…I find that this particular crust doesn’t really need that step).

In the meantime sauté the onion until translucent, then add greens. Sauté until they begin to wilt and onion begins to caramelize. Spread greens in your hot crust, like so:

Reduce the oven temperature to 325. Whisk together eggs, milk, cheese and salt (optional: a dash of nutmeg), and pour over vegetables. Note: this is not in Bittman’s recipe, but this time I added loads of fresh parsley, and it was delightful. Bake for 30-40 minutes until the quiche is set, but still moist. It’s ok if it still jiggles a little in the middle.

 

Serve warm or cold, with a smile.