Recipe: Rainbow egg crustless quiche

Recipe from the published book: Praticing Hospitality, The Art and Science of Hosting in Your Home.

Serves 8

This is my favorite breakfast dish to serve and make seasonally. Below, I’ve included a few combinations to keep your crustless quiche nutritious and inspired. Definately use our farm fresh rainbow eggs for the best outcome.

Keep in mind, this quiche is vegetable based. If you have leftover steamed or stir fried veg from last night's dinner, use it! You get the profit, any cooked vegetable works really well. Try leek, tomatoes, eggplant, or zucchini. All work well here and taste great. I have made this for brunches at home, and also brought it along to friends’ homes covered in tea towels to keep warm.

Ingredients:

• 8 eggs

• ¾ cup milk

• ¼ cup whipping cream

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 cup asparagus, cut into one-inch pieces

• ½ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated

• ¼ cup Prosciutto di Parma

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a casserole or pie plate, butter/grease the sides or have parchment paper cover the bottom and sides. Be careful here, I’ve wrecked pans making crustless quiche before.

In layers, add the asparagus, meat, and then cheese to the bottom of the casserole dish. Let each layer create height in the casserole. Do not push the ingredients down.

In a big bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, and cream. If you have a stand mixer, use that. It’ll froth up the eggs so nicely. We want to see some volume here.

When you’re ready to rock and roll, add the salt and give it a final whisk. If you add salt too early, the eggs start turning a weird brownish color. Beware.

Pour the egg mixture into the casserole dish. For an artistic flare, add extra garnish on top for some visual appeal.

Pop it into the oven at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Check at 40 minutes and see if the crustless quiche is set — but if the center is still a little jiggly, that’s fine. We need to see the set happen. What does that look like? The set will start from the outside edges and work its way into the middle as the quiche cooks. No more liquid on top is a good sign. If there’s visible liquid on top, add 5 minutes extra at a time, and keep checking on the quiche until ready to remove from the oven.

Garnish with herbs and edible flowers and then serve directly from the pie plate or casserole dish you baked it in.

Other Combinations:

Spring: Asparagus, prosciutto, Parmigiano-Reggiano

Summer: Roasted red pepper, smoked gouda, basil

Fall: Roasted acorn squash, goat cheese, thyme

Winter: Steamed broccoli, cheddar cheese, bacon

Equipment Needed

• Pie plate• Whisk• Measuring cups and spoons

• Knife• Cutting board• Bowl• Casserole dish

Enjoy for brunch,

The Farmer @ Livingstone Farm 1860