When you are mostly vegetarian (or
Flexitarian
as one of my readers called me!), eggs suddenly become very dear to your diet. They are really the major source of protein that kind of goes well with nearly everything.
Of course there are lentils and a wide variety of them to be honest. But, they typically require planning (viz. soaking, cooking, seasoning etc.) and are more persnickety about what they socialise with. Imagine trying to get them in conversation with bread; you will have a civil riot on the plate! Yes, there is tofu but again it is a laborious process to make at home and I am a naturally suspicious person of things that come wrapped in plastic. I mean, what you have to hide that you are all prettied up in glossy plastic?
Well, that leaves dear Mr. Humpty Dumpty. He comes in many shapes and colors and when you get him straight from beneath the hen's bum he is mighty alluring indeed. No, I don't mean steal a chicken's lay... Just coax her a bit to move on and lay else where while you calmly collect what she left behind.
Suffice to say, my farmer has been seeing an awful lot of me lately and if you look at my insta stream you'll get an idea of why. It is just so easy to crack an egg on top of anything really and everybody is quite happy to dance in some runny yolk anyway. Oh and eggs and lentils, that is always a torrid affair!
For the most part my interactions with HD are spontaneous. Pan on fire, drizzle olive oil, say a quick hello to the egg and in one smooth motion crack it in. But, once in a while, I make a more concerted effort of using them.. like pies, tarts, frittatas, egg curries and ever favorite quiches.
One such planned dish was this green quiche filled with good old farm eggs and turn of season produce like tomatillos and swiss chard. By the way, have you eaten raw tomatillos? They are incredibly flavorful. They taste like milder gooseberries, viz. not so tart! I was slicing them for this tart and ended up munching on half as much as I used for the quiche! I think they would be fantastic as fritters... nom nom
Tomatillo, Swiss Chard and Jalapeno Quiche
{makes a deep 7 inch pie)
1 whole wheat tart crust dough
5 eggs, lightly whisked
1/4 cup almond milk
2 bunches swiss chard steamed and water squeezed (or other greens like mustard greens, spinach etc.)
3-4 tomatillos sliced thin
2 jalapenos sliced (per spice level)
salt and pepper to taste
a touch of olive oil
Preheat oven to 350F.
Roll out the tart dough and line the deep pie dish. Brush the bottom with olive oil. Arrange a layer of tomatillo slices at the bottom. Distribute the cooked greens on top of this layer. Season with salt and pepper. Whisk together the nut milk and eggs. Season with salt and pepper. Pour the egg mixture evenly over the greens. Arrange the remaining tomatillo slices on top and decorate with the jalapenos.
Bake for 40 minutes until the eggs are cooked through and the crust is golden. If you use a steel pan like I did, the crust will start coming way from the edges when it is ready and that is perfect indication.
Cool on rack for a few minutes and serve. This quiche is great eaten cold as well for breakfast and travels very well!