GF Quiche with Mushrooms, Squash, Garden Greens and Lots of Cheese

Quiche, in my opinion, is the perfect Easter or mother’s day brunch, late afternoon snack, or treat to take into the mountains on an adventure. It begs to use the leftovers in your fridge, or abundance in the garden, and is versatile, going either direction with gluten or no gluten, different types of cheese, and various herbs. The side salad shown here is made up of mizuna, kumquats, currants, a squeeze of lemon juice and high quality olive oil.

Quiche Crust

1 1/2 cups almond flour
1/2 cup coconut flour
1/4 cup tapioca flour/starch
1 teaspoon sea salt
8 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter cut into 1 inch pieces
1/3 cup kefir (or whole fat plain yogurt or cold water)
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup parmesan

Method

Heat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Stir the almond and coconut flour, tapioca starch and salt together in a medium bowl. Add the butter and, using your fingers, crumble the flour and butter together, squishing the butter between your fingers into ribbons, until it is evenly distributed.

Stir the vinegar into the kefir (or yogurt, or water) and pour over the flour-butter mixture. Stir together with a fork. Using your fingers, press the dough into a pie plate or cake pan. Place the crust in the freezer for 10 minutes.

Grate 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese onto the crust, and then bake at 375 F until it the crust is lightly browned, about 10-15 minutes. While it pre-bakes, prepare the filling.

Filling

8-12 eggs
1/2 cup or so grated pecorino romano
1/2 cup or so parmesan
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon sea salt
Pepper

Whisk the eggs together, then add the cheese, cream, salt and a healthy grind of pepper and whisk to combine, set aside.

The Other Fillings

1 cup cooked squash, I used butternut
3-4 cups mixed greens-I used kale, spinach, parsley and some other hardy greens from my garden
1 bunch chives, chopped
1 large handful shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, sliced
Sea salt
EV olive oil
Variations: sliced bacon ends, broccolini, spinach and 2 cloves garlic

While the crust pre-bakes, heat a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the mushrooms and cook for a few minutes, then throw in the greens and chives, sprinkle with salt, more oil, and lemon juice, and cover so the greens cook down. Once the greens are wilted, remove the pan from heat.

Remove the crust from the oven. Add the vegetables then pour the egg custard on top and sprinkle more parmesan on. Bake at 375 F for 40-50 minutes, until the eggs are set and the cheese on top is golden brown.

Serve with a simple side salad, cilantro, and whole milk yogurt.