The Quiche Topic

[SobaAddict70]

I've been thinking lately of making a lamb shepherd's pie with a whipped turnip/potato crust. Another thing that's popped up on my radar is quiche, but I want to do a quiche that's not quiche lorraine, spinach quiche or mushroom quiche, so any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

As an ancillary thread to The Pie Potluck thread, I was wondering what are your favorite quiches? Anything from the standard trio of quiche lorraine, spinach quiche and mushroom quiche to seafood quiche and roasted pepper quiche?

And maybe along the way, you can help me decide what to make for the Pie Potluck, to be held in NYC in mid-January 2004.

Soba

[hannnah]

I've done a tomato and caramelized onion quiche before - that definitely works. Hadn't thought about throwing roasted peppers in, but that would also be excellent.

But honestly, I consider quiche one of those perfect "ok, what have I got in the refrigerator that would work with eggs?" kind of foods. Tomatoes, onions, potatoes, smoked salmon, ham, mushrooms, assorted green veggies - all of them would be tasty.

I made one the other night that was sort of a mutant quiche lorraine - bacon, lots of black pepper, and cheddar cheese - because the spouse was craving eggs and cheese, and, well, bacon goes with everything.

Throwing in leftover steamed or fried rice might also work - I haven't specifically tried it, but it's not that far off a donburi, so I can't imagine it'd be bad. And we've got some awfully good fried rice in the fridge at the moment...that's Saturday dinner taken care of.

[sherribabee]

I eat quiche. And I like it.

I tend to make the standard spinach/broccoli/mushroom quiche, but I don't use a crust.

I bet goat cheese and roasted red pepper would make for a good quiche.

Maybe a bacon and cheddar quiche with crunchy hashbrowns for a crust.

I'm determined to find a way to incorporate french toast into a quiche.

[elyse]

I don't eat quiche. I don't eat eggs.

[Carolyn Tillie]

I love quiche and make it often. Gorgonzola when there are fresh truffles to be had is always a favorite. I will sometimes sauté sliced asparagus with a heaping tablespoon or two of Herbs de Provence and use an appropriate cheese like Gruyere in that quiche. I've also made Queen Elizabeth's Favorite Quiche from Epicurious to rave reviews (sans garnish).

[Larry]

Made a great quiche this summer with pesto, sundried tomatoes and goats cheese. Very simple, but the pesto whisked in with the egg mixture really made it. Served with balsamic sauteed mixed mushrooms

[sherribabee]

I don't eat quiche. I don't eat eggs.

Weirdo!

[curlywurlyfi]

Made a great quiche this summer with pesto, sundried tomatoes and goats cheese. Very simple, but the pesto whisked in with the egg mixture really made it.

hear hear, that's one of my favourites. none of your evil goats cheese, though. Cottage cheese works well for the chevre-challenged.

A French friend makes Roquefort quiche, and puts the cheese on the pastry crust while she is baking it blind, so the cheese melts into the pastry. mmmmm.

But I think my absolute favourite is smoked fish, tarragon + tomatoes with a little Parmesan in the pastry.

[elyse]

I don't eat quiche.  I don't eat eggs.

Weirdo!

And you expected...?

No quiche.

Burgers.

[Alex]

Smoked salmon, caramelized onions, dill -- a reconstructed lox, onion, and eggs with buttered toast.

[kjohn]

I like it, often. My favorite is with some nice smoked bacon, but mushrooms and onions will do.

I had suffered through too many overly eggy or overly cheesy quiches during the early 80's. It was a food that I never appreciated until I tried a custard-filling version with a crust made from scrath. That was a revelation.

Also, I've noticed that some people don't get that you need to cook the water out of vegetable ingredients before you put them in a quiche. I've had a fair number of quiches that were soggy. Soggy=nasty, at least to me.

[Bux]

There's really no end to the variety of things that can go into a quiche although some sense of taste is required if you're getting creative. There's a little place in Bayonne, France by the name of Tarte Julie. They offer both savory tartes and dessert tartes. The savory ones are basically variations of quiche. (By the way, should you get to Paris and discover a miserable imitation of the Bayonne place, please remember I've warned you not to confuse the two and to avoid the one in Paris.) I can't begin to remember the varieties offered and I suspect they change over time. I'm usually a sucker for spinach and mushrooms, or something with leeks and the old standby quiche lorraine is, well, classic. A decline in chavinsim in France now brings us mozzarella, basil and tomato quiche among other new classics.

Last night we had a Spanish tortilla/fritatta with kale, pancetta and shallots. It would have worked well in a quiche as well. I would have liked mushrooms, but there were none in the house. This was a raid the refrigerator dinner, but it was also a combination I'd recommend even if I was shopping. In a quiche, I'd add some gruyere cheese as well.

[Batgrrrl]

Somewhere I have a quiche recipe that calls for cream cheese, diced and put in the bottom of the crust. It basically melts and disperses, and makes for an amazingly rich quich. Made that in a couple of variations for a brunch, and it was a huge hit.

[tryska]

bacon and onion is my favorite.

quiche is a healthy low-carb, high fat, medium protein food.

only thing better is just plain old rashers of bacon.

Edited December 5, 2003 by tryska (log)

[Lady T]

I don't eat quiche.  I don't eat eggs.

Weirdo!

And you expected...?

No quiche.

Burgers.

I eat quiche.

I eat burgers.

I enjoy.

Edited to add a suggestion for upthread party who wants to incorporate French toast: Roll out some brioche dough instead of making piecrust. You lose the pretty crisp texture -- but you get the egg-soaked bready goodness.

Edited December 5, 2003 by Lady T (log)

[Pickles]

I am a personal chef and have a client who orders quiche for every cookdate. Last time I made one I call "Pizza Quiche." It had sauteed jullienned capacola ham, mozz cheese, green onions and thinly sliced fresh tomato and olives as garnish. I cheat and use Oronoke pie shells. Others include ham, broccoli and swiss/, cheddar cheese, tomato, basil and bacon/, and shallot, shrimp and spinach. She enjoys taking slices of them for lunch. They're fun to make. Always sprinkle with some paprika..makes it look pretty even though they come out looking pretty delectable in the first place.

Edited December 7, 2003 by Pickles (log)

[GG Mora]

Leek and goat cheese.

Melt the leeks in butter, then season with S&P and a little balsamic vinegar. Then blend into the egg mix with crumbled goat cheese. Bacon added makes this even better.

[bleachboy]

Leek and goat cheese.

Melt the leeks in butter, then season with S&P and a little balsamic vinegar. Then blend into the egg mix with crumbled goat cheese. Bacon added makes this even better.

Ooh, that does sound good. I would use a mild goat cheese, and definitely add some of Iowa's finest.

Goat cheese also makes a fantastic souffle.

I love quiche, although I should really make them more often. My problem is that I always insist on making the crust from scratch, and in my tiny apartment that requires a full cleanup so that I'll have enough space to roll it out. I need to learn to love store-bought crusts, I guess.

[hannahcooks]

Oh, leek and goat cheese! That sounds delicious. I made a leek and goat cheese tart the other week that was amazing. I actually just started a quiche project and made my first last night- it was much, much more custard-y than any quiche I've ever had, which in my book is a wonderful thing.

[Cusina]

My favorite is chicken sauteed in wine with gruyere, parmesan and dijon in with the cream.

We eat quich quite a bit in the cold months. Great with soup and salad for dinner.

Do you all do anything special with the crust to make it more savory or is it just a standard pie crust?

[elyse]

Why, oh why would you spoil this with eggs?