When my sister Kathleen and her daughter, Indigo, came out for a recent visit, I couldn’t wait to surprise her with my ultimate quiche. This special recipe is authentically French: My friend Christelle, who is French, was kind enough to share her mother’s recipe with me. Though I’ve tweaked it over the years, experimenting with different cheeses and fillings, I give all the credit for this delicious quiche to Christelle and her mother.
Christelle lives in a lovely seaside village in Brittany, France, and she cooked her mother’s quiche for me when I came for a visit a few years ago. We shared it on the most gorgeous, sunny beach imaginable. And even though the wind kept blowing sand into each bite, it still tasted divine.
The windy beach in Brittany, France, where we enjoyed our yummy quiche picnic.
Here is my vegetarian version of her quiche. It’s a perfect comfort food on a cold winter’s night, paired with a glass of red wine to warm the soul. Of course, feel free to change it up as needed; in fact, the next time Kathleen visits, I plan on trying this in a “crustless” version. Bon appétit!
What you’ll need:
1 ½ cups assorted veggies, roasted and coarsely chopped (just use your favorites)
1 pie crust (If homemade is too hard, Whole Foods sells a frozen crust, or you can use Pillsbury in a pinch)
5 slices of Colby-Jack cheese (or more if needed; swiss cheese works, too)
3 eggs
¾ cup sour cream
1 ½ cups milk
Salt and pepper to taste (I prefer Kosher salt)
Directions:
Unroll the crust into your quiche or pie dish. Layer the cheese slices onto the crust. Next, add your assorted chopped roasted veggies. (I like to use broccoli, thinly sliced potatoes, tomatoes and zucchini. Sometimes I even sprinkle a few spinach leaves on top.) In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, sour cream, milk, and salt and pepper; next, pour this into the crust, over the cheese and veggies.
Bake at 450 °F for 45 minutes or until fully cooked.
P.S. Suggested wine pairings: A to Z Pinot Noir or Beaujolais Jadot.
What favorite comfort foods will help you get through this winter? Let us know!
{Photos © Charlotte Jensen}