Next stop on the world food tour: France. In these weird limbo days where we walk a balance beam between boredom and stress, normalcy and the extraordinary, family and sanity, togetherness and loneliness, zoom conferencing and corona hair, when we are all having a shared experience alone, I acknowledge that sometimes you just have to let them eat cake. Well, in this case, it was soufflé, but the benefit of a few well-timed treats can be very powerful in quelling peasant uprisings. This meal’s balance between health and decadence featured spinach quiche and carrot soup, with almond pear soufflé for dessert.
We make this crustless quiche all the time. It is tasty, healthier than versions with crust, and easy to throw together with stuff you probably have in your refrigerator or pantry right now. Often, we serve it with a salad, but tonight, to bring on spring, we opted for a chilled carrot soup. I can’t claim the soup to be French (which I know, because I came up with it myself!), but I can tell you it hit the spot.
Crustless Quiche
Preheat the oven to 400. Melt in pie pan:
1 T. butter
Swirl it around to cover bottom and sides of pan. Sprinkle over butter:
1 T. bread crumbs or panko
Combine and pour into pie pan:
4 large eggs
1 1/2 c. light cream or 1 c. evaporated milk
1 T. fresh or 1 t. dried herbs (optional)
1 t. salt
1/4 t. freshly grated or ground nutmeg
ground pepper to taste
Optional – add 1-3 of the following:
ham
cheese
spinach
broccoli
mushrooms
sautéed onions
Bake until set, golden, and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Let rest 10 minutes, then cut into wedges and serve.
Chilled Carrot Soup
2 tablespoons butter
1 onion, chopped
6 large carrots, sliced into “coins”
1 orange, zested and juiced
2 tablespoons honey
4-5 cups water
Salt and pepper to taste
Saute onions in butter over medium heat, until just beginning to soften, then add carrots and continue sautéing 5 minutes. Add 1/3 cup of water and cook another 5 minutes. Add remaining water and cook until carrots are very soft, but not mushy (25-35 minutes). Add honey and let cool slightly. Add orange juice and zest, and blend in blender until very smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm or chilled.
