Real Men Don't Eat Quiche* – Mediterranean Quiche

Taste: ****
Difficulty: Moderate
Cleanup: Moderate

Quiche is a wonderful brunch food.  Even my mother who doesn’t really like egg dishes, can’t resist the combo of the savory quiche filling and the buttery crust.

I have made this quiche a number of times.  Often I make it a day ahead and reheat it.  The quiche reheats beautifully!

I am not a big fan of making pastry so I always use a store-bought pie crust.  Pillsbury refrigerator crusts are great because you unfold them into your own pie pan so it looks homemade.  But if you have a frozen crust in your freezer, I have used those as well and the recipe turned out quite well.  Just a cleaning tip…always put your quiche on a cookie sheet in case a little filling spills out on your way to the oven or while placing the quiche on the oven rack.  I have learned that lesson the hard way!

This quiche pairs beautifully with simple green salad for a delicious brunch that will impress your guests!

Mediterranean Quiche
Emeril Lagasse

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 cup sliced yellow onions
• 1 medium zucchini, chopped
• 1/4 pound mushrooms, wiped clean and sliced
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 4 ounces oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 large eggs
• 1 1/4 cups half-and-half
• 1/2 cup grated Gruyere
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• Savory pie crust (or store bought pie crust)
• 3 ounces goat cheese, crumbled

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

In a large skillet melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onions and zucchini and cook, stirring, for 6 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring, until the liquid is rendered and the vegetables are wilted, about 10 minutes.

Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.

Add the tomatoes, basil, and thyme and season lightly with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and let cool.

In a bowl, beat the eggs and half-and-half together. Add the salt, pepper, grated Gruyere, and crushed red pepper.

Spoon the vegetable mixture into the prepared piecrust, pour in the egg mixture, and crumble the goat cheese on top. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until set. Remove from the oven and let cool for 30 minutes before serving.

* For those of you unfamiliar with the book “Real Men Don’t Eat Quiche,” it was a bestseller in the early 1980s poking fun at stereotypes about masculinity.  There was a copy in our family room cabinet for years but I don’t think anyone in our house ever read it.