ZUCCHINI AND TOMATO QUICHE

Zucchini and Tomato Quiche image

Every year I find myself with more zucchini and tomatoes in my garden than I can possibly use. Fortunately, I discovered the perfect place for them in this quiche. Feel free to add in some of those other extra vegetables you may have on hand as well. Just follow the instructions for the egg mixture filling, then get crazy making vegetable selections of your own.

Yield Makes one 9-inch pie, 6 to 8 slices (level: easy)

Number Of Ingredients 12

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Ingredients

1 recipe Traditional Pastry Piecrust dough for a 9-inch single crust pie (page 5)
1/4 cup heavy cream (to glaze the crimped pie edges)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter (or 2 tablespoons vegetable oil)
3/4 cup sliced onions
3/4 cup thinly sliced zucchini (approximately 1 medium zucchini)
1/4 cup thinly sliced red bell pepper (optional)
1/2 cup seeded and 1/2-inch cubed tomatoes
1 cup shredded Gruyère, provolone, or Swiss cheese (all work well, so choose your favorite!)
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups half-and-half
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Steps:

Preheat the oven to 425°F.
To prepare the pie shell, on a clean, lightly floured work surface, roll out half a ball of dough with a rolling pin until it forms a 10-inch circle. Wrap the remaining half of the dough tightly in plastic wrap and reserve it in the refrigerator for future use for up to 5 days. Fold the circle in half, place it in a 9-inch pie plate so that the edges of the circle drop over the rim, and unfold the dough to completely cover the pie plate. Brush the edges of the pie shell with heavy cream to create a perfect, golden brown finish. Keep the pie shell close by, as you will add ingredients one at a time.
To prepare the filling, melt the butter in a medium skillet over high heat. Add the onions, zucchini, and bell pepper, if using, and sauté until they achieve a golden brown color, approximately 5 minutes. Spread the sautéed onions, zucchini, and bell pepper across the bottom of the pie shell.
Sprinkle the tomatoes over the vegetables. Evenly distribute the cheese of your choice over the tomatoes.
In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer set on medium speed, combine the eggs, half-and-half, salt, and pepper. Pour the egg mixture into the pie shell, covering the vegetables, tomatoes, and cheese layers.
To bake, place the pie plate on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350°F and continue baking for 40 minutes, or until the quiche is firm in the middle. Transfer the pie plate to a wire cooling rack and allow the quiche to cool and set for at least 10 minutes before serving.
Cooked Zucchini and Tomato Quiche can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. An uncooked quiche can be stored in the freezer for up to 2 months. To optimally keep quiche, put it in the freezer uncovered and let it freeze on a flat surface. Once the quiche has frozen, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and return it to the freezer.