June's the month for spinach - a quiche for Marta's Summer table


I'm once again sharing a recipe for Marta's table. Like I said before I'm such an introvert and anti-social that I always refrain from participating in this kind of project, but lately I have been taking tiny baby steps in coming out of my comfortzone and trying to connect more with like minded people. Because I have such a "fear" of people in general - maybe I expect too much, maybe I do too much and get nothing in return - I always tend to maintain some sort of distance, but lately I have been trying to throw caution to the wind, so to speak.


And the thing actually is, that Marta makes it so darn easy for me to want to join in. First it was strawberries, now it's spinach, what am I gonna do? I love spinach, I always have frozen spinach around my house - I can't eat them fresh nor raw, go figure! - and it's one of the vegetables I most use to serve as side dish for my family. So because this month spinaches were the chosen ingredient, I couldn't resist diving and joining in again!!


It nearly didn't happen, you know? June's been one crazy busy month, so far. Seems like everything that could get crammed in, does get crammed in. First, it was the end of the school year for my son, and that entailed final exams - I still don't understand the point of making seven year olds go through exams where they are taken out of their own school and dropped off at a highscholl where they're made to sit through hours of exams, but it was my son's choice to take the exams, and some things I truly believe he must have a right to choose. Exams are one of them: if he wants to sit through them, go ahead.


Then he finished off school and the long weekend came and we took off on a mini holiday of sorts, so there's another weekend gone by where I'm not cooking nor shooting anything new, and these are the moments when I am rather grateful for being such a busy bee on other days, where I cook and style and shoot like a mad woman and thus have a small stash of future posts to choose from whenever I find myself a tad tight for time! But the spinaches were still being put in the back burner, so to speak, and I was not happy. I really wanted in, and I darn well knew what I wanted to cook!


Luckily - or not! - being married to a teacher means there's always an end of the school year party where the staff of the school my husband teaches in are supposed to cook something for. It usually is a picnic, so finger food is something that goes well, and though for years we would - I would - cook dessert in the form of strawberry or pinneaple mousse, lately we've been going for quiches. And that presented itself as the perfect excuse for cooking up the dish I wanted to take to Marta's table, a spinach and cherry tomato quiche! But my husband is the one in charge of the dough, and this time the man really outdid himself! I am so glad this quiche turned out so good and I get to share it here!


So for this quiche you will need to start off by making the pastry:

  • 100 gr strong bread flour
  • 80 gr spelt flour
  • 100 gr unsalted butter
  • 5 - 15 ml cold water
  • pinch of salt
  • scant teaspon of herbes de Provence, dried
To make the dough you simply pour the butter and the flour onto a food processor and blitz until it becomes a crumbly, sandy mix. Now pour it onto a lightly floured surface, add the pinch of salt and the herbes de Provence and start adding water until it all starts binding together, with the help of a knife. Roll into a ball and cover in parchment paper or cling film, refrigerate for at least half an hour. Then you just need to roll it and carefully spread it over your pie dish. As for the filling you'll be needing:

  • 3 eggs
  • 2 natural yogurts
  • 1 pastry sheet
  • twelve cherry tomatoes
  • 6 to 7 cubes of frozen spinach, defrosted.
  • olive oil
  • salt, pepper, nutmeg, powdered garlic, white wine
Start by turning on your oven at 180º. Place a frying pan over a medium heat with a good glug of olive oil in and let it heat up. Add a dash of powdered garlick and let it infuse the oil just slightly. Now toss the spinach in and cook them over low heat. Season with salt, pepper and a drizzle of white wine to freshen up. Once they look done, but not overly cooked, take them off the heat and allow to cool. Spread the pastry sheet over your oven dish - I always keep the parchment paper in, it makes it easier to take off the quiche once it's done - and with a fork pinch through the bottom of the dough to allow it to release steam when it's cooking. Please don't overdo this! On a bowl beat the eggs softly and add the yogurts, mixing thouroughly. Season well, with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Now toss the spinach onto the pastry and add the tomatoes, scattering them as you like. Cover with the egg and yogurt mix, and if you wish, add a handfull of freshly grated parmigianno. Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes or until it's cooked through and golden. Remove and allow to cool before serving. Pair this with a fresh salad and a glass of chilled rosé and you're like in Summer heaven! Hope you like this one, Marta!!



Comments

  1. I like savory pies, tarts and quiches,perfect for dinners and light meals.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Doce Ruth,

    fico sempre enternecida com os teus posts dedicados à minha rubrica. Como já te disse da outra vez, fico sem palavras por saíres da tua zona de conforto, e generosamente participares no meu desafio. Sinto-me verdadeiramente lisonjeada e honrada. Bolas.... deixas-me mesmo de coração derretido mulher....
    Em relação à tua receita: primeiro adoro quiches. Depois a tua tem um aspeto verdadeiramente delicioso, e certamente não me faltará oportunidades para experimentar e comprovar. É o tipo de receita que adoro fazer naqueles finais de dias de moleza pura... e eu, raramente faço a massa, confesso.... de tanta que é a preguiça :)
    Parece que o universo se uniu, e saiu esta beleza! :) os parabéns ao teu marido porque essa massa tem mesmo bom aspeto!
    Linda, que dizer mais, que é óbvio que adorei! :)
    Bem vinda à mesa de Junho!!
    Beijo enorme

    P.s. - Ah e não tem nada de óbvio a tua receita!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. O óbvio era relativo a quem me conheça bem sabe o quanto eu adoro quiche de espinafres, por isso era relativamente óbvio que tenho como tema os espinafres, ia saír... quiche!!
      Ohhhhh assim fazes-me corar toda ahahahahah!!

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  3. Fantástica sugestão para a mesa da Marta querida.
    Eu penso como tu, acho que a Marta nos facilitou a vida, pois espinafres é algo que adoro de paixão e amei esta tua tarte e essa massa, com farinha de pão e espelta, deixou.me muito curiosa...
    Um beijinho linda.
    Lia

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Experimenta a massa, Lia, acho que vais adorar!! Também fica muito boa substituindo a espelta por buckwheat ou por centeio, adoroooo.

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