Customers’ Favorite Spinach Quiche
One of my fastest movers at the Farmers Markets was this Spinach Quiche. It has that “mystery flavor” aspect my customers just couldn’t quite identify. It's the addition of just a pinch of curry powder. Curry gives the verdant greenness of the spinach an earthy quality that I enjoy much better than nutmeg.
My grandmother’s secret admonition was always to “add just enough special flavor so they know it’s there, but not enough that they know what it is.” You should be able to tell that there is something different in this Spinach Quiche. But only the cook should be able to tell that it’s curry!
Helpful hints:
- Make sure that your pre-baked crust has no cracks or holes. With many pies a visibly larger piece of butter won’t affect the finished pie. With quiches and custard pies, you could end up with filling that seeps out between the crust and the pan. That’s not good!
- If you are rolling out a crust, try to keep a little crust from the trimmings so you can patch up any holes that you find.
- If using a frozen crust, check carefully that the crust has not cracked. If it has, allow it to thaw enough that you can use a tiny bit of water to glue the crack back together. Or brush it with a small amount of egg white.
- For added assurance, use a pastry brush to lightly coat the entire inside of the prebaked crust, then bake it for another 5 – 10 minutes. Be careful to cover the edges so they don’t overbrown.
- The light sprinkle of Parmesan cheese on the bottom crust of the quiche serves two purposes; to create a barrier as it melts between the filling and the crust, and for added flavor.
- Mixing the flour with the cheese prevents clumps of flour from forming and helps distribute it evenly throughout the filling.
- If you have a deep dish pie pan like a deep Pyrex, you may want to increase the amount of filling by adding an extra egg and another ½ cup milk or Half & Half.
Spinach Quiche is one of my favorite flavors of quiche. It's green and healthy and a little decadent with eggs, cream and cheese. The addition of just a pinch of curry powder gives the verdant greenness of the spinach an earthy quality that I like even better than classic nutmeg. My customers loved it, too!
- 1 Pre-Baked Pie Crust
- 1/4 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese (or Asiago)
- 8 ounces Chopped Spinach (Frozen and thawed, or cooked)
- 1 tablespoon Onion (minced)
- 4 ounces Shredded Swiss Cheese (or Jarlsberg)
- 1 ounce Shredded Cheddar Cheese
- 1/8 teaspoon Curry Powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- 1/4 teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
- 2 tablespoons Flour
- 3 Large Eggs
- 1 cup Whole Milk
- 1/2 cup Half & Half
Preheat oven to 425°F
Sprinkle parmesan cheese evenly on the bottom of the prepared crust. Set aside.
In a small bowl combine Curry, Salt, Pepper and Flour.
Measure cheeses and onion into a large bowl, then sprinkle flour mixture over the cheese and mix well.
Add spinach and mix well.
In a separate bowl whisk together the eggs and milk, then pour over spinach mixture.
Stir until thoroughly mixed, then pour into prepared pie crust.
Bake immediately at 425°F for 15 minutes.
You may need to cover the edges of the crust to keep them from over-browning. You can also use a soaked paper towel to moisten the crust edges periodically.Reduce heat to 350°F and continue to bake for ½ hour or until quiche begins to rise in the center.
Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly. Serve warm.