Hungree Girl: Bruschetta Quiche

How do you start your Saturday mornings? Some fresh squeezed OJ? A bowl of Wheaties? Some cartoons? Well, I respectfully decline to accept whatever you do to kick of your Saturday mornings unless eating this quiche is involved. Because that is what I do, and I’m telling you, it’s just the right thing. There’s just something about a piece of warm quiche that tastes like the weekend. It tastes carefree, warm, and comfortable, and lets you cozily linger into the rest of your day. Quiche is just a magical thing. A fluffy eggy cheesy concoction baked atop a flakey pastry crust. WHAT IS NOT TO LIKE?! While there are countless classic combinations of fillings for quiches, I decided to make my own based on one of my favorite summer foods: bruschetta. A combination of fresh tomatoes, onions, garlic, mozzarella and basil, bruschetta puts those gorgeous summer tomatoes to good use, which is why I wanted to translate this classic into my quiche. So that’s what I did. And I’m telling you, it’s unbelievable. Once you taste it you’ll understand my disregard of starting a Saturday morning off any other way.

Bruschetta Quiche

Ingredients

For pastry

1 ½ cups flour

8 tbs butter, cold

salt

5 tbs chilled water

Filling

2 cups assorted colored tomatoes

olive oil

1 vidalia onion

3 cups shredded mozzarella

5 eggs

1 cup whole milk

salt

pepper

basil paste

Recipe: For the pastry crust, cut the butter into small pieces. In an electric mixing bowl, combine the flour and the butter and mix until little ball shapes are formed. Add the salt and water and mix just until the dough comes together. Shape it into a ball with your hands and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Roll out your crust into a thin circle, about ¼ of an inch thick, and lay it in your greased pie/tart pan. Fold a rustic crust, using the edges that hang over and folding them back on top. Bake for about 15 minutes, until golden. If it starts to puff up, use the back of a wooden spoon to pat it back down.

For the filling: Halve the tomatoes, they should be about ½ inch sized pieces. We like them hearty. Roughly chop the onion into about ½ pieces as well. Heat a skillet on medium high with enough olive oil to coat the bottom. Once hot, add the onions and cook until translucent, about 4 minutes, remove from heat. In a large bowl crack the eggs and beat them well. Add the basil paste and mix well. Add the tomatoes, onions, and 2 cups of the mozzarella and stir until combined. Add 1 tsp salt and a few grinds of good black pepper. Pour the filling into the piecrust (its okay if the crust is still hot) and top it with the remaining shredded mozzarella cheese. Bake for 35-45 minutes, until the quiche is set. Remove from the oven and let rest about 10 minutes.

For serving: Either serve after it has rested or let it come to room temperature, cover it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate it. To reheat it, cover it in tin foil and let it sit in the oven at a low temperature until warmed through.