So Many Dishes

It’s that time again. Pretty much every year since I’ve been retired, we have spent a couple nights with Ben and Annie, and Emmalyn, too, so that Ken and Ben can go to the state science fair, where they both are longtime judges. We have a long history with science fairs. Ben did his first science fair project when he was in first grade. In high school, he had a research project that he developed through his four years. He took his project to the state level three of the four years, and for the last two years his project was selected to go to the international fair. He loves giving back by judging now. Ken has judged at the county and state levels to more years than I can count. I remember going to an awards presentation when I was pregnant with Alice with my suitcase in the car, just in case 😄

My job is always to make dinner on fair day, as they are always late returning. But Ben cooked the day we arrived, and made a delicious shrimp creole. His version is lighter than the recipe I’ve made, and I like it better. It doesn’t involve all the time of browning a roux, and uses significantly less oil. Because Emmalyn isn’t into spicy food at this point, the creole was mildly seasoned, but we had a bottle of hot sauce on the table and the adults made liberal use of it.

The dinner I cooked was an asparagus quiche. Because this event usually falls in Lent, I try to make a vegetarian dinner. Twelve years ago, as Ben was exploring Ukrainian culture and customs (Ken’s background is Ukrainian), he decided to try the Orthodox Great Fast for Lent. This is essentially a vegan plus shellfish diet, with fish allowed on certain days. Ben has continued the tradition, although he’s always willing to break the fast when I’m cooking 😄 I realized that dairy isn’t on the list of allowed foods, but Ben said he’d had other dairy recently, so I didn’t feel too bad.

While I’ve made spinach and artichoke quiche numerous times, this was the first time I’d tried one strictly with artichokes. Ben has a history of kidney stones, and spinach is definitely not an approved option for him. I had to hunt for a recipe, but eventually found one at sohappyyoulikedit.com. It turned out to be the easiest quiche I’ve ever made, and we all thought it was delicious.

The ingredient list is short, and I was concerned because there is no seasoning. The directions could have been a bit clearer in their presentation; I hope I’ve made things clearer below. I almost missed that the onion was supposed to be sautéed before adding to the filling, and nothing was said as to whether to sauté the garlic, as well. I made an executive decision and through it into the pan for the last minute that I had the onions over the heat. Plus, the recipe didn’t specify how long or to what stage to cook the onions. I went with soft and translucent.

The secret ingredient in this recipe is sour cream. It replaces milk or cream. I think because of the extra body that the sour cream has, there are only two eggs in the filling. With mozzarella and Parmesan as the cheeses, it’s a mild tasting quiche.

Because I wasn’t cooking in my own kitchen, I used refrigerated pie dough. I think it’s the first time I’ve ever used it, and I was very happy with the result. It tore a little bit as I unrolled it, and ended up looking lopsided in the dish, but I was okay with that. I blind baked it for 10 minutes, which gave me an opportunity to use my new pie weights. I decided I didn’t want to waste any more beans.

The quiche looked beautiful when it came out of the oven, and I’m pleased to say that it didn’t have a soggy bottom. Unfortunately, the filling didn’t hold together when I cut it. The recipe said to allow it to sit for 10 minutes before cutting, but I didn’t let it go any longer. Ken and Ben didn’t get home until after 8:00pm (Ken was texting me with updates so i knew when to start baking), and were really hungry. If we had waited longer, it probably would have been fine. When Ben transferred the leftovers to a container, it held together beautifully. Anyway, no pictures of the dish plated.

Artichoke Quiche

• 1 pie crust, store bought or homemade
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3/4 cup chopped onion
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 3/4 sour cream (I may have been a little generous here)
• 1 15-ounce can quartered artichoke hearts, drained (do not chop)
• 8 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• Chives to garnish, optional

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Roll pie crust out to fit a 9-inch pie plate. Crump the crust edges and poke the crust with a fork. Cover with parchment paper and fill with pie weights. Blind bake the crust for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add the chopped onions and cook until soft and translucent, and just beginning to color. Add minced garlic and cook one minute longer. Remove from heat.

In a large bowl, combine egg, sour cream, and the cheeses. Add the drained artichokes and the sautéed onion and garlic. Mix thoroughly, and pour into prepared crust. Bake for 25 minutes.

Remove from oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes or more before cutting and serving. Garnish with chives if desired.

The recipe says that it makes 8 servings, but two hungry scientists and I devoured about 3/4 of the quiche. I wouldn’t count on it feeding more than 6, and then only if you have a substantial side. We just had sliced tomatoes with it. I think this would be a lovely brunch or lunch with a big fruit salad to go along with it. But whatever meal, it’s delicious. Ken said he’s anxious for me to make it again.

Happy eating!