Caprese Quiche

Sure it’s back to school and work and in many respects the summer is over, if not officially, but that doesn’t mean we can’t have one last seasonal hurrah: Caprese Quiche!

It’s just bursting with the flavors of summer—tomatoes and basil and if you love a caprese salad, I can’t think of a better way to say goodbye to summer!!

Also, maybe it’s just me, but the tomatoes this year have been simply amazing (I’ve been addicted to tomato sandwiches in the last few weeks) so here’s another great way to showcase them!

You start by making a simple quiche crust which comes together easily and gets covered by the filling so there’s no worries if there are lots of little cracks and it’s not perfect, whew!

Then, it’s just a matter of making the filling, which is full of good stuff like shallots, garlic, eggs, heavy cream, Parmesan and of course lots and lots of fresh basil!

Then, it’s just a matter of layering on the fresh mozzarella and tomato slices—so pretty!

The quiche bakes up golden brown just loaded with that classic basil/tomato/mozzarella combo. YUM!!

It’s a little on the heavier, richer side than some quiches so cut small slices and serve with a nice crisp green salad and you’re good to go!

Juicy tomatoes, earthy basil and creamy mozzarella—how can you go wrong?!!

So hard to say goodbye to my favorite season!!

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Caprese Quiche

Makes 6-8 servings

You will need an 8 or 9-inch tart p[an with a removable bottom for this.

Prep time for crust: 10 minutes, plus chilling time; Bake Time for crust: 20-25 minutes; Prep time for filling: 15 minutes; Bake time for quiche: 35-40 minutes

Ingredients

For the crust

• 1 ¼ cups unbleached, all-purpose flour

• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt

• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), cut into cubes and chilled

• 1 egg yolk

• 2 tablespoons ice water (you may need a little bit more)

For the filling

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

• 2 large shallots, minced

• 3 garlic cloves, minced

• Kosher salt

• Black pepper

• 5 large eggs

• ½ cup heavy cream

• ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan

• ¼ cup roughly chopped fresh basil

• 1 large (or the equivalent) vine-ripened summer tomato, sliced not too thinly (buy the best you can)

• Sliced fresh mozzarella ( i used about 10 slices from a ball)

The Recipe

1. To make the crust: Whisk the flour and salt together in a medium bowl. Add the cubed butter and use a pastry blender to cut the butter in until there are pea sized little balls of butter. Use a fork to stir in the egg yolk and then gradually add the ice water, mixing until the dough comes together but isn’t wet. If it seems way too dry add a bit more water until it just barely comes together. Form the dough into a ball, flatten into a disk and wrap well in plastic wrap. Chill for at least 1 hour and up to one day.

2. When you’re ready to make the quiche, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board and use a floured rolling pin to roll the dough out into a 12-inch circle. Transfer to an 8 or 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom and gently press the dough into the bottom and up the sides. Trim off any excess and place the pan in the fridge for 30 minutes. Meanwhile preheat the oven to 375ºF.

3. Place a piece of aluminum foil across the dough and top it with dried beans or pie weights and bake for 15 minutes. Then carefully remove the foil and beans, prick the dough all over with a fork and return the tart to the oven to bake for another 5-10 minutes, until the crust is beginning to brown. Remove the crust from the oven and lower the temp to 325ºF.

4. To make the filling: While the crust is pre-baking, melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat and add the shallots and garlic. Let cook for a few minutes, stirring often, until they soften and begin to brown. Season with a bit of salt and pepper and remove from the heat. Set aside.

5. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and cream together. Then stir in the Parmesan, basil and cooled shallot mixture. Season with salt and pepper and pour into the pre-baked crust. Top with the sliced tomatoes and mozzarella and place the tart pan on a rimmed baking sheet to catch any drips.

6. Bake for 35-45 minutes, until the quiche is set when you jiggle it and the edges are beginning to brown. If it seems too liquidy, bake it longer. Then transfer to a wire rack and let cool for at least 20-30 minutes before slicing into wedges and serving. You can definitely make this earlier in the day and reheat gently before serving or even stick the whole thing under the broiler for a minutes or two (watch carefully) to get the cheese all melty again.

Enjoy!

Note: Recipe adapted from The Fresh Eggs Daily Cookbook by Lisa Steele. I tinkered with proportions and techniques and baked this longer too.