What to Do with Too Much Kale

Ingredients

• 12 ounces pancetta or slab bacon, 1/4-inch dice
• 1 medium red onion, diced
• 4 large garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 pound kale, stripped, chopped, and washed as specified In the Crisper, above
• 6 eggs
• 2 cups milk
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• A few good grinds of black pepper
• 1 recipe Savory Pastry Dough, Baked Blind, below
• 1/3 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino Romano cheese
• Ingredients for Savory Pastry Dough:
• 12 ounces unbleached all-purpose flour
• 8 ounces unsalted butter, diced and kept in the freezer
• Big pinch of salt
• 2 ounces ice water

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 325 degrees F. Put the diced pancetta into a large skillet and cook it over medium-high heat, adjusting the burner down if it starts to scorch, until the pieces are browned and cooked through. Lift the pancetta out with a slotted spoon or strainer and transfer it to a plate lined with paper towels. Leave about 1 tablespoon of fat in the skillet and discard the rest.
2. Turn the heat down to medium-low. Stir the diced onion into the pan and cook it, stirring often, until it starts to soften without taking on color. Add the chopped garlic and stir for 1 minute more, watching closely so the garlic does not burn.
3. Raise the heat to medium-high. Put a generous handful of the prepared kale into the skillet, cover the pan, and let it cook for 1 minute or 2, just until it begins to wilt. Stir everything around so the onion and garlic are spread through the greens and protected from scorching. Continue adding the kale by handfuls. Once all of it is in the pan, pour in 1/4 cup water and lower the heat to medium-low. Cover and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring now and then, until the kale is tender. If the skillet looks dry, splash in a few additional tablespoons of water so nothing sticks or burns. Take the pan off the heat and stir the pancetta back in.
4. For the custard, break the eggs into a large bowl and whisk them until foamy. Add the milk, cream, salt, and pepper, then whisk again until the mixture is very frothy and fully blended. Use some enthusiasm here, since that air helps keep the filling from sinking while the quiche bakes.
5. To build the quiche, spread half of the kale mixture gently across the base of the blind-baked crust. Add half of the custard, then scatter half of the grated cheese over it. Do the same layering again with the rest of the kale mixture, the rest of the custard, and the rest of the cheese.
6. Bake for 90 minutes, or as long as 2 hours if needed, until the custard has barely set and still gives a small wobble when moved. Let it come to room temperature, then refrigerate until fully chilled. Slice and serve cold.
7. For the savory pastry dough, baked blind, heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Add the flour, butter, and salt to a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Pulse until the mixture is mostly coarse and sandy, with some butter pieces still about pea-sized.
8. While the machine runs, pour the ice water through the feed tube and process only briefly, just to bring it in. Pinch a small bit of dough in your hand. If it clumps together, tip the dough onto a clean, dry counter. If it falls apart, add more water by teaspoonfuls, pulsing only until it holds. Work the dough as little as possible so it stays tender.
9. With the heel of your hand, push the dough forward across the counter in about 8 portions to spread the butter through it. Gather it quickly into a disc, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.
10. Take the dough out of the refrigerator and let it sit for a few minutes. On a lightly floured surface, or on two overlapping sheets of parchment paper, roll it to a scant 1/4-inch thickness. The round should be large enough to cover the bottom and sides of the ring mold or cake pan with plenty hanging over the edge. Set the ring mold or cake pan on a baking sheet and line it with parchment paper. Fit the dough into the mold or pan, pressing it in so it covers the bottom and sides without open spots. Trim off and save a few scraps from the extra dough to repair any cracks that appear during blind baking.
11. Cover the dough with parchment paper and fill it with dried beans or pie weights. Bake for 30 minutes. Lift out the beans and parchment, use some of the reserved dough to mend any holes, and return the crust to the oven for about 15 minutes, until it is lightly browned. If holes are still visible, cover them with the remaining saved dough.