Chive and Goat Cheese Quiche (and Second Podcast!)

Yum!

I am quite excited about this video! It's a big improvement from my first podcast, if I do say so myself. First of all, the video size is much smaller, so it should take about half the time to download (5 minutes or less, hopefully). Second, I think this quiche is a little bit more photogenic than the scallion pancakes were. Third, I think I did better this time at incorporating shots of the actual food, instead of just focusing on me talking (I mean, it's fun to watch me talk too -- but I think anyone who's actually watching my podcast is probably slightly more interested in watching me cook).

And I am also very excited about this recipe! I have to say, maybe it's the vegetarian in me, but I love appetizer foods. And breakfast foods. And if you can find a dish that doubles as an appetizer AND a breakfast? Please feed that dish to me.

But more importantly, this dish is seasonal, local cooking in its tastiest form. My eggs, goat cheese and chives all came from the farmer's market, and were incredibly delicious. I think quiches might sometimes seem like wintery, hearty fare, but this dish just screams spring to me.

So let me know what you think!

Also, an a much heavier note, I want to mention this month's Click competition at Jugalbandi. The June edition of Click is dedicated to food blogger Briana Brownlow (of the blog Figs with Bri), who is battling Stage IV breast cancer. The theme for the photo event is "Yellow," and it has been combined with a fundraiser to help her meet one year's out-of-pocket medical expenses.

There are some great prizes being raffled off for making donations. After viewing the list, you can make a donation here. The goal is to raise $12,000 and as I type this, they are almost halfway there already!

And last, the winners of the final three Haagen Dazs gift certificates are Karin (Comment #9), Jen (Comment #16), and SP (Comment #38). I'll be emailing for your addresses!

Chive and Goat Cheese Quiche

INGREDIENTS:

For the Crust:

1 1/3 cups all purpose flour

1 stick of unsalted butter

1/4 tsp salt

1 egg

1 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp water

For the Filling:

2 large shallots

2 tsp olive oil

1/2 cup goat cheese

1/4 cup chopped chives

1/3 cup milk

1/3 cup cream

2 eggs

1/2 tsp salt

DIRECTIONS:

For the Crust:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Combine all crust ingredients except the water in a food processor, pulse until the dough comes together. Add enough water that the dough is one piece, but not sticky -- no more than two tablespoons.

Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface. When the dough is a large enough square, roll it up onto your rolling pin, and then roll it back out onto a fluted tart dish. Press the dough into the sides and corners of the tart shell and trim the edges.

Cook the tart shell, covered with tin foil and pie weights, for about 25-30 minutes. Remove from the oven, allow to cool, and use immediately or store for later use (will keep several days in the fridge, or up to a month in the freezer).

For the Filling:

Saute shallots in olive oil over medium heat for about 2 minutes, or until shallots have softened. Spread shallots into the tart shell. Spread goat cheese and chopped chives over the shallots in the pie shell.

In a separate bowl, beat together eggs, milk, cream and salt until smooth. Pour the filling into the tart shell, put the tart shell on a baking sheet to catch spills, and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until filling is set and the crust is lightly golden. Allow to cool, cut and serve.

Serves 4-6 as a light brunch, or 9 as an appetizer.