Salad Rules, Quiche, More Grad Info

Good morning. Wednesdays are always a little brighter for me because it’s usually the day Bon Appetit comes out with its newest podcast episode, so I can block out the world for a little while and listen to my favorite food people go deep on, say, Chicken Parm. It’s also the day I write about food over at Cup of Jo. This week, in honor of spring and the high-qual produce we have to look forward to, I wrote about a few rules I follow when making salads. I hope you’ll check it out. Speaking of high-qual produce, yesterday Phoebe and I planted a some seeds in our garden — green beans, snow peas, tomatoes, a few lettuce varieties. I am the world’s worst gardener, and I mess something up every year, but I’m hopeful for this season’s harvest — especially since Phoebe helped for the first time ever, sowing good, happy energy right into that soil with me. Here are two more things that I hope might add a little light to your day…

Pantry: Bring Back the Quiche

Why does no one make quiche anymore? (Or why do we make quiche but feel compelled to call it something else, like “tart” or “pie.”) I guess I sort of know the answer to that — when done correctly, it can be a cardiologist’s worst nightmare. But it can be such a great empty-the-fridge vegetarian vehicle, too, so I don’t want to write it off entirely. And there are a few ways to make it a little healthier…

My basic quiche template is: Pre-bake a store-bought pie crust (fork-pricked all over the bottom) for 8 minutes at 375°F. While it bakes, you can whisk your filling: 4 eggs, 1/2 cup whole milk, 1/2 cup cream (light cream is fine), and maybe 3 ounces of Parm. From there, it’s up to you and your pantry-refrigerator situation. I added some finely chopped artichoke hearts that had been sautéed with onion. You can add cooked greens (spinach, kale, chard), chopped tomatoes, asparagus, broccoli. Then top with a little more grated cheese (cheddar, mozzarella, Swiss) and bake for 30 more minutes. As soon as I took a bite I was like “why do I not make this more often?”

Purpose: Letter To My Students

More love for the class of 2020. (Forgive me, it’s all I think about now.) Last night, Random House hosted a virtual commencement featuring speeches from some of their best and brightest, including Anna Quindlen, Wes Moore, Reshma Saujani, and George Saunders (above). Anyone who’s spent even a minute on this blog knows about our enduring love for George Saunders (novelist, short story writer, and writing professor among many other things) and I was happy to see that his speech was taken right from this letter to his students in last week’s New Yorker. (Warning: You might hit a pay wall if you’re over the monthly limit.) Give it a read whether you have a graduate or not.

Stay safe. Stay home.

The goal of the Project, Pantry, Purpose series to keep us sane, distracted, and connected. Please continue to comment below with suggestions for recipes, projects (for kids and adults), good deeds, donation ideas, stories, movies, games, puzzles. Or just tell me how you’re doing, what your daily routine is, and especially how DALS can help you or people in your community. You can also email me directly at jenny@dinneralovestory.com.

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10 Comments

Sara B

I had no idea nobody makes quiche anymore 🙂 My mom used to make quiche all the time. We had a brunch birthday party for one of my sons a few years ago and had quiche and donuts. My mom’s staples: broccoli/ham/cheddar and tomato/green chile/scallions/cheese. She doesn’t cook much anymore, but the recipes have lived on with my siblings and me.

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Sarah Sinclair

Every Wednesday, my girls and I walk to a little wee market in our neighborhood….it is our only outing besides walks and bike rides, and I am always so proud of them as they wear their masks with a smile and wave hello to the owner who is usually busy cooking. He makes all sorts of grab and go meals and one of them is quiche! To my surprise, one day my 8 year old wanted to try the veggie quiche…she got a slice bigger than her head and we took it home to eat. She devoured it!! So, now quiche is in the rotation at our house. Also, the letter from George Saunders was wonderful…. “Someday soon, it will be easier to be happy again.” Yes.

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Alec

I literally made a quiche this morning! Seemed like the perfect way to use up some odds and ends and clear the way for the farmer’s market. It was ideal! For a store-bought crust, do you thaw it out or cook from frozen?

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Hanna

The other day I had some potatoes, bacon, spinach and cream that were all about to go bad so I made a quiche and damn, it was delicious. Quiche does get a bad rap lately but it’s a great dish to have on hand, you can eat it warm or cold, for any meal, what more could you ask for?

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Leah

Just saying hi and that I love the writing that you’re putting out during this time. We’re hanging in in the North Fork of Long Island, attempting to work, home school our first grader and entertain our toddler.

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Stephanie

We made your quiche on Mother’s Day and it was wonderful. I caramelized an onion, had 2 slices of bacon left from the previous day’s breakfast and some grated cheese. Rounded out with asparagus and a salad with lemon vinaigrette, it was better than any curbside that I could think of. Thanks for years of inspiration!

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Dan Kraft

Best if you let it thaw for 20 minutes and then bake it for 8-10 minutes at 400 degrees after pricking it with a fork . This seals the crust so that the quiche bottom won’t be soggy.

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Lydia Chan

Thanks for the reminder about quiche! I followed your instructions and filled mine with spinach and pancetta for an easy weeknight dinner.

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Taylor

This is a late reply but we have made this several times since your post in May. The ratio of milk to eggs makes for a perfect, light, custardy texture that complements whatever filling we choose. We’re vegetarians so usually use a combo of leftover roasted vegetables plus chopped fresh herbs, which don’t need to be sauteed first. Thanks for such a wonderful, versatile recipe that feels both familiar yet fresh each time.

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