Autumn quiche

This quiche, baked up from seasonal CSA kale and escarole, was among some of the better things I baked up this past fall, hence the name autumn quiche. If you don't bake the quiche, at least tuck the French tart dough recipe into your web archives. It is that good.















Autumn Quiche
Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients:
1 recipe French Tart Dough
olive oil
6 large eggs
splash milk
3 cups chopped raw kale and raw escarole
1-2 cloves chopped garlic
3 tbsp kalamata olives, chopped
1/2 cup shredded cheese (cheddar, or a goat cheese would be very good)
1/4 cup chopped basil
2-3 spring onions, chopped fine
salt and pepper to taste
pinch nutmeg

Directions:
1. Prep the tart dough. Allow it to cool before using. This tart dough is one of the best out there. I have used it to make lemon tarts, chocolate tarts, almond-pear tarts, and now quiches. It never fails. It's simple, it's easy, it's my favorite.
2. Once your quiche (tart dough) is cooling, heat up about 1 tsp of olive oil in a large skillet. Once it's hot sauté the kale, escarole, and garlic in the olive oil. Add a few tbsp of water to the pan if the greens start to stick.
3. Turn the eat to low and let it wilt down. Turn the heat off and set aside.
4. Prep the oven to 350º F or 180º C.
5. In a small bowl, combine the chopped olives, shredded cheese, and herbs.
6. In a large bowl, mix together the eggs and milk with a whisk. Add the remaining ingredients to the egg mixture and season with salt and pepper, and nutmeg.
7. Add the egg mixture to the quiche dough, and bake in the oven for 35 minutes, or until done. Let stand about 1 hour before serving. Stores well and makes excellent leftover lunch where you can brag to coworkers about how the escarole melts into the quiche.

Greek Zucchini Fritters

Recipe is from the New York Times' health and wellness section, Recipes for Health

It feels odd cooking with zucchini in the dead of (what seems like) endless winter, but these reminded me of gardening, which then reminded me of squash borers. Ugh. Then I sighed, and started shredding the zucchini, and learned the Flemish word for them courgette. This is pretty much my train of thought whenever I cook.

Beware that while this dish is delicious and will be devoured immediately (and probably without leftovers) it takes a while (2 hours) to prep. First you have to drain and squeeze all the water out of the squash, and then refrigerate the mixture. It's a fried dish. Mmmm, but with healthy ingredients, so it makes you feel better. Of course I thought it was too much olive oil and reduced the amount - only to be left with gooey-undercooked insides. Use the recommended amount - they'll cook faster and absorb less oil.  Serve with yogurt or tzatziki sauce.

To make a proper meal, I served with some roasted potatoes:

Roasted potatoes:
5-6 small to medium organic potatoes, quartered
1 onion, sliced
1 T fruity olive oil
1/4 cup chopped green beans
1/4 cup mixed green olives (mine contained roasted peppers and pearl onions)
salt and pepper to taste
2 medium skinny chili peppers (like Thai chili peppers)
1/2 of one lemon to be used at the end

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 F
2. Put the potatoes and onions in a roasting dish and drizzle olive oil on top. Mix well and roast for 20 minutes until either soft or just barely golden.
3. Fold in green beans, olives, and chili peppers and season with salt and pepper. Continue roasting for another 15 minutes. When golden and cooked, remove and squeeze in lemon juice. Adjust salt and pepper if needed.