delicious quiche and a special leftover pie crust treat!

A good friend came over for breakfast a couple weeks ago. I decided to attempt a quiche in my brand new deep-dish pie plate that I bought at the Moynihan gallery in downtown Holland! I consider myself a pie-crust novice, but I managed to pull this one off. It had that melt-in-your mouth almost shortbready feeling that a buttery pie crust should have, and the filling was fluffy and flavorful, filled with sauteed mushrooms, swiss chard, and several kinds of cheese. :)

Recipe notes:

I managed to sneak a little sourdough starter into this recipe. It is a small amount, but with the fantastic properties that sourdough has for both flavor and digestion of grains, I figured it could only help! I will also show you the option of making the crust without sourdough starter, but if you are maintaining a starter, by all means, give it a go!

I did not let the dough "sour" at room temperature this time, but I plan to try that next time. Since the crust should be refrigerated before rolling out, I think I will leave it out for 8 hours or so, and then refrigerate for a couple hours or overnight. The original recipe (from King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking) says to refrigerate overnight or up to three days.

I made the crust in my stand mixer, but it is definitely doable without one. You might need to knead it with your hands at the end to get it to hold together.

Final note: I know this looks complicated, but it's really not that bad! And the final product is TOTALLY worth all your hard work!

Swiss Chard and Mushroom Quiche with Sourdough (or not) Crust

Makes Two Quiches

Crust (start at least 1 day ahead):

1-1/2 c. whole wheat pastry flour

1/2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour

1 T. sucanat (unrefined sugar)

heaping 1/2 t. sea salt

1 c. (2 sticks) butter

1 egg

1-2 T. sourdough starter or milk

Whisk together the flours, sucanat, and salt. Work in the butter until crumbly, with a pastry cutter, mixer, or your fingers until the dough is unevenly crumbly. Add the egg and stir to incorporate. Add 1 T. of starter or milk and mix to form a cohesive dough. Add more starter or milk if necessary for the dough to hold together. Shape into two disks, each one inch thick. Roll the edge along a clean counter to smooth it. Refrigerate overnight or up to three days.

Remove the crusts from the fridge 10-15 minutes before you plan to roll them out. Preheat oven to 375. Now you can start preparing your filling. When the dough has warmed up slightly and is able to be worked, roll each round into a 12 inch circle, and transfer to pie pans. Crimp edges and trim if there is extra (but save it!). Place in fridge while you prepare the filling.

Filling:

Coconut oil for sauteing

1/2 c. chopped onion or some chives for milder flavor

1/2 a package of mushrooms (I used mini bellas), sliced

1 bunch swiss chard, stems removed (save them to throw in your broth!) and leaves chopped

8 Eggs

2-1/2 c. whole milk

a few ounces cream cheese or chevre (optional but delicious)

1/2 t. salt

freshly ground pepper to taste

1-1/2 cups (or so) other grated cheese, such as cheddar, swiss, parmesan, pecorino romano

a few pinches of nutmeg and thyme

Saute onion and mushrooms in coconut oil until cooked through ("don't crowd the pan!"). Set aside and add chard to pan. Cover and cook a few minutes until wilted, stirring occasionally.

While veggies are cooking, whisk together the rest of the filling ingredients, reserving some cheese to sprinkle on top. (I used my stand mixer with whisk attachment to make it speedier.)

Take crusts out of fridge. Layer mushrooms and chard in bottom of crusts, dividing evenly between the two. Pour half of the filling mixture into each, and sprinkle with reserved cheese.

Bake at 375 for 40-45 minutes, covering the edges with foil after 20 minutes to prevent burning. Let rest a few minutes before cutting and serving.

Put leftover bits of crust to good use!

I had a little bit of pie crust leftover, so I rolled it out on a cookie sheet (floured to prevent too much sticking) and spread on some coconut oil, drizzled on some honey, sprinkled on some cinnamon, and scattered chunks of apple all over. Then I rolled it up (gently!), sliced it into 2 inch pieces, and baked it at 350 for about 25 minutes. And voila! Apple pie roll-ups! The only problem with these is that I wished I had more! Seriously good.

This is part of Real Food Wednesday and Pennywise Platter Thursday, I'm Lovin' It Fridays, Friday Potluck, and Weekend Gourmet

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