Anything baked in a tart pan looks great and this tomato quiche is no exception especially with the bright vegetables and molded pastry edge. I only wish it tasted half as good as it looked. The recipe was a blue ribbon winner from Taste of Home (which is usually awesome) but this tomato quiche was kinda blah. Next time I'll either use a sharper cheese or add some ham or bacon to it. Or I'll just stick to my regular standby quiche filling of sautéed red peppers, mushrooms, bacon, broccoli and mozzarella.
Any environmentalists out there? If you haven't already seen this cookbook - The Big Green Cookbook - I recommend leafing through it because it's got some great ideas on "green" cooking and household tips. I think I'm going to get a copy for my tree-hugging friend for his birthday on the 14th. I hope Amazon ships that fast because as usual, I didn't think far enough ahead.
My Favorite Quiche Filling
Makes enough for 1 - 9" tart
1/2 onion, diced
4 strips bacon
1/2 red pepper, diced
4-6 mushrooms, sliced
1 cup mozzarella cheese
2 eggs
3/4 cup milk
Salt & Pepper to taste
1. In a non-stick pan, sautée the onion and bacon until bacon is almost cooked through. Add mushrooms and red pepper. You may want to add the red pepper a bit later than the mushrooms so it doesn't overcook. Continue frying until bacon is fully cooked.
2. In a separate bowl beat together the milk and eggs and season to taste.
3. In a partially baked tart crust, sprinkle 1/2 the cheese. Put the bacon-veggie filling over the cheese then pour the egg mixture over everything. Sprinkle the top with remaining cheese.
4. Bake at 425ºF for 15 minutes. Lower the oven to 375ºF and bake for another 20-25 minutes or until egg is almost set. Cool for 15 minutes before unmolding from pan and serving.
