Although we typically think of quiche as a French dish, it actually originated in Germany. The earliest version contained eggs and cream baked in a crust containing meat, fish, or vegetables, and the crust was made of bread instead of pastry. Cheese was added later by the English.

Quiche can be a versatile pie that appeals to many different tastes. The base is usually the same — eggs, half and half, and cheese — but the rest of the ingredients can be customized according to your likes. It can be made vegetarian or you can add meat, seafood, or chicken. Whatever you choose, always cook your mixture of veggies and/or meats and let them cool before incorporating the cheeses. Once you get to that step, you can refrigerate your mixture overnight and finish preparation the next day. The pie crust can be store bought, or you can make your own; the crust that I use is a standard Pâté Brisée recipe, which I’ve also included here.

I recommend serving this quiche with a mixed salad of greens, English cucumber, shredded carrots, thinly sliced celery, and cherry tomatoes. Dress the salad lightly with organic Koroneiki Greek extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Enjoy!

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375° F. Move rack to the middle of the oven.
2. Place pie crust in pie or quiche pan and put in the refrigerator until you’re ready to use it.
3. Heat 2 tbsp. of olive oil in a medium-sized frying pan over medium high heat. Cook onions and peppers until soft, about 7 minutes, then lower the heat to medium low and add the garlic and the rest of the vegetables, stirring well to mix all ingredients. Cover pan and cook until veggies are soft, about 10 minutes.
4. Remove lid and let cool to room temperature. There will be some water from the veggies in the pan. Once cooled, add basil, dill, grated Parmesan cheese, and the shredded Monterey Jack cheese. Stir well.
5. Pour ingredients into chilled pie crust.
6. In a large measuring cup, beat the eggs and then add the half and half. Mix well. Grate nutmeg over the egg mixture and stir.
7. Pour liquid in the pie pan with veggies. Bake for 45 minutes until crust gets brown and the center of the quiche is not jiggling. Let it cool slightly before cutting.

Pâté Brisée

1. Pulse flour and salt in a food processor or whisk together by hand in a bowl. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal, or quickly cut in with a pastry blender or your fingertips. You will have some larger pieces of butter remaining.
2. Drizzle ¼ cup of water over mixture and pulse or mix with a fork until mixture just begins to hold together by squeezing some in your hand. If dough is too dry, add ¼ cup more water, 1 tbsp. at a time and checking after each addition.
3. Divide dough in half onto two pieces of plastic wrap and gather in two balls. Wrap loosely in plastic and press each into a disk using a rolling pin. Refrigerate until firm for at least an hour or up to one day. (Dough can be then wrapped in wax paper, placed in a glass container, and stored in the freezer for up to three months. Mark the expiration date on the container before placing it in the freezer.)
4. Roll out dough at least 1.5 inches larger than your pie pan. Tuck excess dough under and decorate edge using a fork or crimping with your thumb and forefinger.