Saturday, September 13, 2008

You Said Farmer's Market?

Hello there. I know it has almost been a week since I last posted and that certainly defies my latest posting average of every one to two days, so thanks for coming back. My blogging frequency will be slowing down a bit as I get deeper into the semester, but I promise at least one post a week of something delicious. Just hang in there. I love sharing this little bit of cyberspace with you.

Today's deliciousness comes in the form of a quiche that I have been slowly nibbling away on since midweek. Considering that one of my roommates is a vegan and another doesn't eat eggs or meat, it was left to me and "roomie #4" to enjoy making this pretty little thing disappear.

I took two of the last three slices over to a friend's house this morning, and our forks dug into the cold, creamy filling as we chatted and tried not to get too excited for the farmer's market we were about to go explore.

Farmer's market? Don't you live in Abilene, Texas? Well, yes I do, and thank you so much for reminding me. But I will respond with the comment that once again I have been pleasantly surprised by this quiet little town.

So, we went with low expectations to a covered parking lot downtown and were greeted by friendly "good mornings" and beautiful produce (albeit a modest amount of it).

I bought red onions and assorted squashes and am looking forward to going back next week with a little more cash to buy a jar of honey. I think I'll be keeping in mind the filling I want to make for my next quiche, too, because I still have things to learn about this dish, and only time and practice will teach me.

For one, this was my first ever pie crust. I think a dread of them was instilled in me because my mom rarely ever took the time to make them. I assumed her lack of interest was because of their difficulty, and if my talented mother finds something difficult, well, I'm kind of, sort of doomed.

However, Tuesday afternoon I fearlessly set out to make my first pâte brisée, and it wasn't all that terrible. I had thorough instructions, thanks to WCS, but had to gradually grate the frozen butter in because I don't have a food processor. I may have been a bit conservative with the amount of water I added as well (erring on the side of too little than too much). It simply ended up a bit tough.

As for the filling, I modified Cook's Illustrated's Leek and Goat Cheese Quiche, using their measurements for heavy whipping cream, milk, eggs, egg yolks, salt, and nutmeg. Instead of the leeks, I sauteed baby portobello mushrooms in a bit of butter, snipped up some chives, and grated pecorino romano into the egg mixture. The flavor was fresh and the texture perfectly smooth, but next time I think I'll try a different filling because the 3/4 cup of whipped cream made for a heaviness and richness almost more appropriate for a dessert than a breakfast dish.

Too bad there aren't farm fresh eggs at the farmer's market...oh well. I'm grateful for something cheerful to get me outside before ten on Saturdays, until the winter closes in.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

oh sweet one! how beautiful is the humble egg when gussied up with cheese and flaky crust and fresh herbs! but not as beautiful at you.

update: i found a house in shoreline. i'll have my own room, a big kitchen, and a studio in a shed out back. i'll move just in time to plant a winter greens garden.

wish you were here. love.

Unknown said...

you have certainly found a way to build community around food- building 'everything' around food.

your brother, kiah, would be raising his eyebrows about now reminding you and your sister about how often your conversation gets back to food. remember those days? i don't see him commenting here at all, so he must have grown out of it. keep it up, dear.

dad

Lael Meidal said...

Brenna: I'm sure you make a lovely quiche. What wonderful news about your new home! I'll have to give you a call soon and hopefully I'll be around to enjoy a bit of that garden in November. love to you.

Dad: I certainly hope 'everything' isn't built around food...though it is a wonderful thing to savor. And, yes, I will never forget Kiah's agitated comments. Maybe it was my own defiance that spurred me more strongly in this direction!

Anonymous said...

Humm... yummy!
Lael, this is a delicious collection of imagery, recipes, and insightful thoughts. So much poetry! I loved your initiative, thanks for sharing your mind and talent. :-P

Time to cook something.

nil

wcs said...

Congrats on the crust! It looks fantastic!

ChichaJo said...

This looks delicious! I have never made my own quiche though I love them...perhaps I should try my hand at homemade soon!

Love farmers markets big and small :)

Lael Meidal said...

Nil: Thank you so much for the encouragement. I'm glad we share a love of both food and photography.

WCS: Thanks! I did my best :)

Chichajo: The quiche was surprisingly simple, so you should definitely give it a go. Besides, it's a breakfast staple! Thanks for stopping by.

Y said...

The filling for the quiche sounds delicious! And your first ever pie crust looks fab. I remember my first few attempts and they didn't look half as decent as that!

Lael Meidal said...

y: thanks so much for visiting and for the compliments on my crust. It does look deceptively good, doesn't it :)
I guess it wasn't that bad...the perfectionist in me is just disappointed.

Anonymous said...

Lael!

You had quite a breakthrough with your firs ever pie crust!

How cool is that??

Now, curious what is your next one that uses pie crust. Maybe blueberry pie crust??

love your articles!

cheers,
Gabi @ Mamaliga.com