Name: Spinach and Cheese Quiche
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 90 min
Total time: 110 min
Ingredients: 2½ cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled, plus more for rolling ); 1 teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon sugar; 1 cup 2 sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces; ¼ cup ice water; 1 egg yolk; 3 tablespoons butter; 3 shallots (minced ); 3 garlic cloves (minced ); 3 bunches of baby spinach; 8 ounces Swiss cheese (grated ); 8 eggs; 3 cups half-and-half; ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg; Several dashes of hot sauce; Kosher salt; Freshly ground black pepper; ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Early summer trips to the farmers market find me loaded down with baby spinach, among other goodies pulled from the ground. Baby spinach is sweet with tender leaves.

Spinach purchased any other time of the year doesn’t interest me at all, but that super sweet baby spinach is truly something special. I love the versatility of a quiche. It is a good Shabbat type of dish.

I love cool summer foods that don’t heat up the house or weigh me down all day. The basic quiche formula is below and makes 2 pies. Feel free to change the recipe as the season changes and the produce inspires you.

Spinach and Cheese Quiche

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 1 30

Total Time 1 50

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Servings

Ingredients

2½ cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled, plus more for rolling
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup 2 sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
¼ cup ice water
1 egg yolk
3 tablespoons butter
3 shallots minced
3 garlic cloves minced
3 bunches of baby spinach rinsed and dried, stems removed and leaves torn into small pieces (or 2 pounds frozen baby spinach, thawed)
8 ounces Swiss cheese grated
8 eggs
3 cups half-and-half
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Several dashes of hot sauce
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

CRUST
In a food processor, combine flour, salt, and sugar; pulse to combine. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal with a few pea-size pieces of butter remaining.
Sprinkle with ice water and egg yolk. Pulse until dough is crumbly but holds together when squeezed.
Divide dough in half and flatten to disks (the dough may still be crumbly and hard to handle, but will rehydrate while resting), wrap each disk with parchment paper, and allow to rest in fridge for at least 1 hour and up to 2 days. Dough may also be frozen for up to 1 month. Preheat oven to 350°F.
Place one disk of dough on a lightly floured piece of waxed paper. Rolling from center outward, form into a 14-inch round. Using paper, lift and wrap dough around a floured rolling pin; carefully unroll (discarding paper) over a 9-inch pie plate.
Gently fit dough into bottom and sides of plate. Avoid stretching or tearing dough. Using kitchen shears, trim overhang to 1 inch; fold under to form a rim. Prick the dough all over the bottom and sides and a fork. Repeat with second disc of dough.
Line the dough with foil and add pie weights, or beans or rice. Blind bake the dough for 15 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove foil and weights and continue to bake for another 10 minutes until the dough is dry.
FILLING
Melt butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Sweat shallots until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and spinach. Cook spinach for 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until wilted and soft. Drain spinach mixture in a colander by lightly pressing with a spatula to remove excess water.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together cheese, eggs, half-and-half, nutmeg, hot sauce, salt, and pepper.
Arrange spinach in the bottom of blind-baked crust. Ladle custard over spinach. Sprinkle top with Parmesan cheese. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until top is puffed and golden. Serve at room temperature.