As the temperatures finally begin to heat up, save this handy summer vegetable quiche recipe for your next garden get-together.
Food writer Dee Laffan shares her recipe for a gluten free summer vegetable quiche. The perfect way to make the most of seasonal produce, this filling dish combines veggies with a light and creamy filling, wrapped up in gluten-free pastry.
Inside May|June issue of Irish Country Magazine, you can read Dee’s feature on the topic of ‘ultra processed foods’ and discover her low processed Irish-made alternatives.
Serves 4
For the quiche:
1-2 courgettes
2 tbsp olive oil
Sea Salt, to taste
Roll It Pastry Gluten-Free Shortcrust Pastry
2 large red onions, sliced
1 tbsp butter
4 free-range eggs
30g Feta Cheese
Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
Three-cornered leek or wild garlic flowers, to garnish
For the green salad:
Organic mixed leaves
Organic Alfalfa Sprouts
For the dressing: 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice; 1 tbsp spple cider vinegar; 1 tbsp good-quality extra virgin olive oil – mixed together & add just before serving
Method
- Preheat your oven to 220°C/200°C fan.
- Using a mandolin, slice the courgette into slices. Pat dry with a paper towel and add to a bowl. Pour in half the olive oil and toss the slices in it. Season with sea salt. Arrange the slices in a single later on a baking sheet and bake on the top rack of the oven until golden brown. Set aside. You can also fry the slices instead of baking, if you prefer.
- Turn down the oven temperature to 180°C/160°C fan.
- Dust a clean work surface with flour and roll out your pastry. Gently line a 20cm loose-bottomed tart tin; the pastry should be larger than the dish so it hangs over the edges. Press the pastry into the corners and trim the edges. Pierce the pastry on the base and sides with a fork. Add parchment paper on top of the pastry and fill with baking beans. If you don’t have beans, you can use dried rice. Bake for 30 minutes until golden. Let the shell cool completely.
- In the meantime, we need to caramelise the onions. Heat a frying pan over a medium heat, add the butter and onions and a sprinkle of sea salt. Cook for 15-20 minutes approx., stirring regularly, until the onions are golden and slightly sticky. You can add more butter or olive oil if the pan gets too dry. This should be a slow process; you don’t want the heat too hot and burn the onions.
- Crack the eggs into a bowl and whisk. Season with salt and black pepper.
- To assemble, add the onions to the pastry base, spreading them evenly across it. Pour the whisked eggs on top. Add the chopped cherry tomatoes. Top with the courgette slices, arranging in a circular pattern. Crumble the Feta cheese around the top.
- Place into the oven and cook for 30 minutes or until the egg mixture is cooked and golden brown on top. Garnish with flowers from three-cornered leek. Serve with fresh green salad.
