French Friday with Dorie: Spinach and Bacon Quiche

QUICHE IS WARM OUT OF THE OVEN AND READY TO EAT

Every now and then my kitchen hobbies are  prepared with exactly the correct timing.  Sometimes I get crazy in the kitchen and end up with so many baked products that I wonder who will ever eat them all.  Stressful days produce more need for kitchen time, thus more goodies to consume.  It was one of those days.  So, I tackled the quiche as part of my therapy.  Quiche always feels like breakfast food to me...I know this is not true, but especially this one with bacon and eggs...it just seemed like I was making it during the wrong time of day.

THIS CRUST RECIPE ALWAYS ROLLS OUT NICELY

Several years ago we adopted two girls out of a Moldovan (part of the old USSR) orphanage.  They have grown up and are on their own.  One is finishing her university studies in another state.  And, just as I was pulling the quiche out of the oven, she walked into the kitchen with her Russian boyfriend...what a surprise!  They had unexpectedly come to stay for several days before Summer school classes begin.  Thank goodness I had the quiche!  And let me tell you, Russians love eggs and anything made with eggs.

CRUST FITTED INTO TART PAN

 

VEGES ARE THE MAIN INGREDIENT

When our 2nd Russian daughter made it home to our family she struggled with our American food.  She had very little to eat and no variety of foods to learn to enjoy in the orphanage where she had lived from about 3 years of age...and now she was 15 and wanted independence, and had come to live with a family she could not understand; she thought she’d never be able to learn English, and we had an abundance of strange food, ...it was hard.  But she discovered eggs.  Eggs had been a neglected part of her diet, and they are an important ingredient in most common Russian foods.  They are added to salads and other traditional foods of all kinds as well as being used in ways similar to how we use them.  (A Russian friend just shared a salad with me this week made from eggs, fresh beets, potatoes, peas, and corn...all chopped to match the size of the peas and mixed with mayo.)

WITH PARM CHEESE ON TOP THIS QUICHE IS OVEN READY

 These daughters had never been in a kitchen and never had the opportunity to cook anything, but after being here for about a week, this 2nd RU daughter learned how to fry eggs.  She was now independent in a new way.  She could cook.  And she could make something she had dreamed about for years.  So fry eggs she did.  7 dozen in one week.  She ate every one.  I remember wondering how long this egg eating would go on and worrying about having to deal with  a cholesterol problem.  Now we all laugh about the dozens of eggs she ate in a short period of time.

JUST OUT OF THE OVEN--SMELLS TERRIFIC AND BAKED BEAUTIFULLY

So, I knew the quiche would be a treat for my starving daughter and her friend after their 13 hour drive.  They loved it.  It was perfect.  They want the recipe.  (This #1 RU daughter hasn’t an interest in cooking much more than makeing pancakes...and she eats them by the dozens....and she can laugh with us about that.  But we are proud of her for many different things, including her university studies.)  It made me happy that she would want the recipe and that she enjoyed the quiche so much.  Maybe we’ll make it again while she is here, together.

I LOVE ALL THE VEGES!

I did get a taste of the quiche before it was devoured.  I liked the generous amount of spinach and onion mixture in comparison to the amount of eggs and cheese.  I liked the flavor of the bacon, and the Parmesan cheese on top was perfect and browned nicely.  I thought the quiche was delicious and my Russians honestly want more.

MY PIECE...ALL THE REST VANISHED VERY QUICKLY

One of the greatest joys of cooking is bringing family together and pleasing them with our foods.  Sometimes a special dish adds to fond memories, and I know that when my college daughter has quiche again, good feelings of home and family will come to her mind.  Since she enjoyed the quiche so much, I'll know for sure what to make for her the next time she comes home.