10.15.2012

cooking like an adult: quiche

Ah, the quiche. A delicate and confusing beast!

I actually used recipes this time (sorta), because I've never made a quiche before and it seemed overwhelming/terrifying/weird/etc. I used this for a guideline for the innards and this for the crust. More or less.

And I actually remembered to do the whole picture thing this time! So sort of randomly, mainly probably because I haven't had beets in a while, I decided I was going to do a beet-apple-goat-cheese quiche. Why? Because reasons, that's why.

I'll do this stepwise the way I should've done it, instead of the way I did it.

First, if you're smart, you should prepare the crust, because it needs to rest in the freezer for a bit before you use it. So you should probably prepare the other stuff while the crust is resting. Instead of putting everything in the fridge for an hour and saying WHO CARES I WILL WATCH ONCE UPON A TIME. WHICH IS GETTING KINDA REALLY WEIRD.

crust ingredients!

I decided to use whole wheat flour, to be HEALTHY. YEAH. I also used fancy salt, but I really couldn't tell the difference flavor-wise in the end, so, do what you will there. 

sifting! shakily! yeah!
This sifter thing, I either got as a present from my mom (most likely) or bought for five dollars, but I honestly can't remember which? Except I am pretty sure my mom gave it to me. I think they're cheap. In any event they're like ten thousand times better than using a pan-shaped sifter thing, like you're panning for gold? Also, dear god, my arm looks like a ghost arm. 

butter cubes! what's up!
I really like getting to squish things with my hands, and this was very satisfying. I managed to not take any pictures between this and the state in which it went into the freezer, but here is an important note that I totally spaced! If you're going to use wheat flour instead of white flour, the gluten in the wheat is going to suck up more moisture more readily. I should've added either an extra egg or more creme fraiche - I'm going with creme fraiche, because seriously? Five eggs? That's madness. Anyway, yeah, there should've been more creme fraiche I think. The crust ended up a little dry (possibly also because I was like SCREW YOU RECIPE I'M USING THE WHOLE BATCH OF CRUST FOR ONE CASSEROLE-TYPE SITUATION and so maybe the liquid part would've gone into the crust part a bit more if it were thinner? I don't know, stop judging me), so I wish I had added more liquid. Is what I'm saying.

this is your brain on drugs. but actually it's the crust dough headed to the freezer.

Next (theoretically), the vegetables! Slash fruit! Since I was all, man! I should use an apple because apples and beets seem similar to me. I am kind of nonsensical sometimes.

baby beets!
I inadvertently purchased baby beets, because I used FreshDirect and wasn't paying close enough attention - they're a little bit subdued, flavor-wise, but not terribly much. I decided to use the stalk things that are red as well, after googling "ARE BEET STALKS POISON" and finding out a lot of people think they're delicious! I used a McIntosh apple because they're good for baking. That's just logic.

BAM. CHOPPED.
I put a little olive oil in the pan, put them over low heat, added a little bit of ginger and cinnamon (could've done more, but I was feeling a little hesitant regarding flavor, which was FOOLISHNESS, flavor should be an EXPLOSION) and let that sit with a lid on for maybe 5-10 minutes. I don't know. I started making the crust dough and sort of moved the pan around when it sounded like it was getting hot. Then I turned off the heat but left it on the burner and left the lid on. For about an hour. 

FUN FACT FOR FOOD HANDLERS LICENSE EXAMS: Basically any food can sit at room temperature for about three hours before you need to be concerned.

"custard" ingredients
Ah yes. The custard. As it is called these days. I used skim milk, or "low-fat" that I don't actually know the fat content of I guess, and I also forgot to shake it before I poured it, and it's non-homogenized milk because it's from a New York dairy and so I maybe got more whey than I meant to but that's okay. I think the goat cheese log there is from the same dairy. I used the whole thing, and since it's a creamy cheese, I just whisked it into the custard mixture instead of trying to figure out how to layer it on top or whatever you're supposed to do with shredded cheese. It worked nicely. That's nutmeg and cayenne to the side, and I was kinda light on the cayenne, which seems like the right thing, but I think I would like this with more nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger. I think those would be good things to have more of.

So, you know, you sorta mix those together, and then you cover it and put it in the fridge because you're dumb and made the crust at the wrong time, and then you go watch TV and work on a side project thing for a while.

Then comes the easy part!

crust!
This is when I realized the crust was going to be dry, because it was very difficult to sort of squish into submission there. BUT IT WAS TOO LATE.

fruit and veg!
...I can't explain to you how to do this any more simply than it is illustrated. It goes on top.

custard!
Yeah! Awesome! I put it in the oven at 425 F for about fifteen minutes, then lowered the heat to I think 325? But maybe 300? F for another half hour or so. AND THEN VOILA:

BEAUTIFUL. i would marry that quiche.
A THING OF BEAUTY, SHE IS.

This smelled really good, and tastes like, pretty good! But again, I wish the flavors were a little stronger. The goat cheese is really nice and tangy, and the flavors come together well, but there's no reason why I couldn't have had more of the spices I mentioned previously. It has a tiny bit of a kick from the cayenne, which is nice, but not like, a crazy kick - though if you're into spicy goat cheese beet apple quiches, by all means, go for it, friends!

It's sweet and savory, has a nice aftertaste. Overall I say GOOD JOB, SELF. CHAMPION. And I think it's pretty healthy, despite the four eggs. That gives me protein. If you wanted to shoot for a vegan version of this, I feel like it could be done, but I don't envy you that concept. Nor do I have any particular tips.

Okay, so health-wise: we've got protein, dairy, wheat, fruit and veggies. I am pretty sure that makes it more or less the most complete meal I've ever made. I did the same slice-into-servings-and-put-in-foil-for-freezer thing, and I think I'll try to make some salads to go with it because honestly, quiche is good but it's kind of hard to eat like a really big piece of quiche. Also I have to do something with those beet leaves, because otherwise they will just be gross and rot and then my fridge will have rotten beet leaves and then where will we be?