Provençal Quiche Food

PROVENçAL QUICHE

Steps:

• Use pulsing action to process flour, butter and cream cheese spread in food processor until mixture is well blended and starts to pull away from side of container. Shape into ball; wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate 1 hour.
• Place dough between 2 lightly floured sheets of waxed paper; roll into 10-inch round. Discard top sheet of waxed paper. Spray 9-inch removable tart pan with cooking spray. Invert over dough. Flip tart pan, holding pan and dough together. Discard second sheet of waxed paper. Heat oven to 400ºF.
• Heat dressing in large skillet on medium-high heat. Add peppers, mushrooms and zucchini; cook 5 to 7 min. or until mushrooms are crisp-tender and liquid is cooked off, stirring occasionally. Place vegetables on top of pastry.
• Whisk together eggs, milk and Parmesan; pour over vegetables in crust. Arrange asparagus in circular pattern on top of quiche. Bake 35 to 40 min. or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Let stand 10 min. before serving.

QUICHE PROVENCAL

Steps:

• Prepare pie crust as directed. Use pastry weights or beans and bake in a 350 degree oven until golden, approx 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
• Place cheese in bottom of pie pan. Top with tomatoes, broccoli and garlic.
• Whisk eggs with water until well combined. Add milk, Herbes de Provence, salt, pepper and parsley and mix well.
• Pour egg mixture over vegetables and cheese.
• Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30-35 minutes. Let cool at least 10 minutes before serving.

QUICHE LORRAINE

Steps:

• Make crust: In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, add flour, butter, and salt. Mix at lowest speed until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. With the motor still running, slowly add egg yolks one at a time, then the cold water; continue mixing until the dough comes together, 10-15 seconds. Turn dough onto a flat work surface and bring it together with your hands. Dust surface and dough with flour, then shape into a disk about 8 inches in diameter and ½ inch thick. (Optional: Use a rolling pin dusted with flour to help you flatten the dough.) Wrap disk in plastic and refrigerate for 2 hours and up to overnight. (Dough can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days or in the freezer for up to 2 weeks; defrost in the refrigerator before continuing with recipe.)
• Shape dough: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Remove dough from refrigerator. Use a pastry brush to grease the bottom and sides of the tart pan with softened butter.Unwrap the dough and place on a lightly floured work surface. Use a rolling pin to flatten the dough into a circle; every few rolls, rotate the dough a quarter-turn to even out the thickness and shape, dusting with flour as needed. Center the tart pan on the circle of dough: the dough should extend at least 2 inches past the edge of the pan, all the way around, in order to line the walls of the tart pan. Transfer dough to tart pan: Gently fold dough in half, then in half again. Center the tip of dough wedge in the middle of the pan and gently unfold. Use your fingers to ease the dough against the sides of the pan and help it lie flat against the bottom; avoid stretching or tearing. Leaving a ¼-inch overhang, trim the excess dough with a paring knife. Shape excess dough into a ball and use it to push the dough into the fluted walls of the pan. Fold and press the overhanging dough over the rim; this will help the dough hold its shape as it bakes.
• Parbake crust: Line dough with a circle of parchment paper; fill pan with baking beans or pie weights. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Meanwhile, make an egg wash by whisking an egg with a tablespoon of water. Set aside. After 20-25 minutes, remove parbaked crust from oven; remove the parchment paper and baking beans. Use a serrated knife to trim away the crust along the top of the tart pan so it's flush with the edge; now that the dough is partially cooked, it won't shrink as it cooks further. Brush the bottom and sides with the egg wash and place back in the oven, 5 more minutes. Crust is parbaked when it's firm but hasn't taken on color; the sides should be pulling away slightly from the pan. Set aside to cool. Increase oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
• Filling: Trim root end of the leeks. Slice in half lengthwise, then slice into ¼-inch half-moons. Trim root end of the endives, then remove outer leaves. Slice in half lengthwise, then slice into ¼-inch half-moons. Slice bacon into ¼-inch strips (or "lardons"). In a large sauté pan set over medium-low heat, melt the butter. Add bacon, leeks, endives, a few turns of pepper, and a pinch of salt. Stir and sweat until vegetables are soft but not brown, 8-10 minutes. Towards the end of cooking, turn heat to low and add chopped garlic. Stir to combine, turn off heat, and set aside.
• Custard: In large bowl, add eggs, egg yolks, salt, and pepper; whisk together. Then slowly add cream while whisking; continue whisking until smooth. Set aside. Dice cheese into ½-inch cubes. Set aside.Assemble quiche: Place tart pan on a wire rack fitted into a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Spoon the vegetable-bacon mixture into the tart crust and spread in an even layer; top with diced cheese. Mince about 2 tablespoons of chives and set aside. Ladle custard into the tart pan until it covers the filling and almost reaches the top. Gently shake the pan to settle the custard and eliminate air pockets. Pour remaining custard (about ¼-½ cup) into a measuring cup or small pitcher. Sprinkle quiche with half the minced chives, reserving the rest for garnish. Place quiche on oven rack; then add enough remaining custard to fill the crust to the very top without overflowing. Bake for 20 minutes. (Total baking time will be 50 minutes.)
• After 20 minutes, rotate the pan 180 degrees and lower the temperature to 275 degrees F. Continue cooking until custard is set, another 25-30 minutes. Turn on broiler. Place quiche on a rack about 6 inches from heat source. Broil until top is a light golden brown, 1-2 minutes. Note: Keep an eye on it the entire time to prevent burning!
• Remove quiche from oven and let cool in the pan, at least 30 minutes. Before serving, lightly brush top with olive oil. Remove tart ring. If you want to remove the bottom of the tart pan, gently run a knife between it and the crust before sliding it out. Garnish with reserved chives (optional). Serve warm or at room temperature. (To reheat a cold quiche: Bake at 200 degrees F for 20 minutes.)

PROVENçAL TART

Steps:

• To make the pastry, put the flour in a bowl with the butter, then rub together to resemble breadcrumbs. Stir in the basil, oregano and sundried tomatoes, then pour in the olive oil and about 4 tbsp cold water to make a soft dough (it will be a bit softer than regular pastry). Wrap in cling film and chill for one hour.
• While the pastry is chilling, make the sauce. Halve, seed, then dice the peppers and reserve half for the filling. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan. Add the garlic, oregano and peppers and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the peppers start to soften. Tip in the rest of the sauce ingredients and simmer over a medium heat, uncovered, for about 10 minutes until reduced to a thick sauce. Stir frequently so it doesn't stick. Season well and set aside to cool completely.
• Preheat the oven to fan 180C/conventional 200C/ gas 6. For the filling, line a baking sheet with parchment or greaseproof paper, drizzle with 1 tbsp of the oil and lay the aubergines slices over it. Drizzle the rest of the oil over the top - it seems a lot, but it all gets soaked up - then scatter with the dried basil and some salt and pepper. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the slices look golden, and are tender when poked with a knife.
• Roll out the pastry to a circle, about 40cm, and use to line a 28cm fluted flan tin (preferably loose-bottomed). Bend the pastry over the edges and trim with scissors so you have a 1-2cm overhang. Put the tin on a baking sheet. Prick the pastry base, brush it with egg if you wish to give a crisper crust, and bake blind for 10 minutes (there's no need for baking beans).
• Spread the sauce evenly over the bottom of the pastry. Lay the aubergines on top, then the sliced tomatoes and a good handful of chopped basil. Season with salt and pepper.
• Now scatter with the reserved peppers and olives, then the grated cheeses, right up to the edges.
• Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden. Let the tart cool a little, then trim off the pastry edges with a sharp knife for a neat finish.