Quiche Lorraine

Everyone loves a Quiche -- and this recipe makes the best, hands down. Severed cold in the summer, and warm in the winter, this cheesy, creamy, hearty and savory tart is an all-season delight. The bacon can be replaced with chopped asparagus spears for a lovely vegetarian version.

Quiche Lorraine

pastry for 1 9-in pie
4 strips bacon
1 onion, diced
1.5 cup shredded cheese -- split Gruyere and Ementhaler
4 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups heavy cream
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp white pepper

1. preheat oven to 450degrees F

2. line a nine-in pie plate with pastry and bake 5 minutes

3. cook bacon until crisp and remove it from the skillet. Pour off all but one tablespoon of the fat remaining in the skillet. Cook the onion in the remaining fat until the onion is transparent.

4. crumble the bacon and sprinkle the bacon, onion and cheeses over the inside of the partly baked pastry

5. combine the eggs, cream and nutmeg, salt and pepper and strain over the onion-cheese mixture.

6. bake the pie 15 mins, reduce the oven temp to moderate (350) and bake until a knife inserted one in from teh pastry edge comes out clean, about ten minutes longer.

Winter Salad with Beets and Goats Cheese

1 head romaine lettuce, dark outer leaves removed and hearts chopped
1 head radicchio lettuce, chopped
boiled beets, one per person
goats cheese
dried cranberries
toasted pine nuts

for vinaigrette:
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup fresh cranberries
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tbs water
salt and pepper to taste
1 small shallot, minced

In a blender or food processor, combine the vinegar, oil, cranberries, mustard, garlic, salt, pepper, and water. Process until smooth.

In a large bowl, toss lettuces and with dressing. Thinly slice beets and arrange on the bottom of the plate. Pile lettuces on top of beets and sprinkle dried cranberries, toasted pine nuts and crumbled goats cheese.

Not Popeye's Spinach: Spinach with Currents and Pinenuts

Spinach is a great vegetable. But it's easy to run out of interesting ways to prepare it. This is a recipe I adapted from one found in a Spanish cookbook. Like a lot of my green cooked veggie sides, this one is seasoned with nutmeg. Of course, you can leave the spice out and just stick to regular old ground black pepper, but nutmeg really enhances the earthiness of the spinach. The sweetness of the currents and the buttery taste of the pine nuts balance the bitterness of the spinach. The amount of currents and pinenuts can be increased/decreased to your taste.

Served on top of grilled polenta or a potato pancake, this dish makes a great appetizer or tapas. I'll be posting my favorite polenta recipe in the near future, so keep an eye out.

Not Popeye's Spinach: Sauteed Spinach with Currents and Pinenuts

2 bunches spinach, rinsed twice with stems removed (baby spinach can be used to cut down on prep time -- you probably want to use two boxes or one large box)
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup currents (raisins are an acceptable substitute)
1/3 cup pinenuts
nutmeg, salt, pepper -- to taste
1 tbsp salted butter
2 tbsp olive oil
flour

Soak the currents for several hours (1-4) in warm water. Drain and dry slightly. Toss the currents in a few tablespoons of flour, coating well and shaking off excess.

In a hot sautee pan, add butter, oil and pinenuts. Allow to cook for about a minute before adding garlic. Cook for another minute, being careful not to burn garlic. Add currents and spinach, tossing to coat with oil and garlic. Cook until the water from the spinach has evaporated.