Leek, Herb and Goat Cheese Quiche

I’d never before made a quiche, but loved the idea of having breakfast ready for a few days and all I’d need to do was reheat in the oven. Well, after I made this quiche, I decided there was really no going back. It’s perfect with some fruit and coffee in the morning, or also makes a great lunch when served with a mixed green salad (and even better with a glass of wine).

Adapted from The New York Times

CRUST

• 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/8 inch-sized pieces

• 1/4 cup of ice cold water

EGG CUSTARD

• 3 large eggs

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1 1/4 cups half and half

• Black pepper, to taste

• 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

• 1-2 leeks, depending on size, thinly sliced

• 2 tablespoons mixed herbs, such as thyme, chives, dill, or basil, chopped

• 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped

• 4 ounces goat cheese, sliced into 1/4 inch rounds

Pulse flour and 1/2 teaspoon of salt together in a food processor. And butter and pulse again until it resembles a coarse meal. Slowly add ice water and continue pulsing until mixture comes together. Remove dough from the food processor and knead 2-3 times on a lightly floured surface. Form a disk and wrap the dough in plastic and chill for at least 30 minutes before using.

Bring dough to room temperature and lightly flour counter. Roll out the dough gradually, letting it rest for a moment before continuing. This will help prevent the dough from shrinking back during baking. Roll the dough to a thin round approximately 13 inches in diameter, then trim to make a 12 inch circle. Lay dough into a 9 1/2 inch fluted tart pan with removable bottom, and fold overlap back inside to make a double thickness, pressing firmly against the pan so the edge is slightly higher than the pan. Refrigerate or freeze for an hour before pre-baking.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and bake crust for 20 minutes, or until lightly browned. Patch any small holes with leftover dough.

While the crust is baking, prepare the custard. Heat a small nonstick pan over medium heat with butter, and add once melted, add leeks. Stir slowly until they soften, about 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat.

In a mixing bowl, beat eggs. Whisk in half and half, salt, pepper, lemon zest, herbs, parsley, and leeks.

Once the crust has been baked, place the tart pan on a baking sheet and pour the egg custard over the crust, being careful that the mixture is evenly distributed. place goat cheese rounds on top. Bake at 375 degrees for 30-35 minutes, until the top is golden and the custard is set. Cool for 10 minutes, and serve warm.

Before

After