Green Tomato Quiche

 

How we make it.

1 pie crust
1 tablespoon butter
2 pieces bacon, diced
1/2 green tomato, diced
1/2 jalapeno, minced
1/2 red onion, diced
2 tablespoons Dry Vermouth
3 eggs
1 cup half and half
1 cup Gruyere, grated
1 1/2 teaspoons Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Preheat oven to 350, poke holes with a fork into the bottom of the pie crust. Bake for 10 minutes, remove from oven and set aside. I don't know why. 

In a medium skillet over medium high heat, add butter until melted. Add bacon and cook for 3-4 minutes until somewhat cooked, but not crispy. You want the fat rendered a bit so the vegetables can cook in it too. Add green tomato, jalapeno and red onion, stirring to combine. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook for 7-10 minutes until browned. Add vermouth and scrape up brown bits on the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Cook for a few more minutes then remove from heat and set aside.

In a medium bowl whisk together eggs, half and half, 1 teaspoon Kosher salt and black pepper. Once pie crust and quiche filling mixture have cooled, add filling into the pie crust in an even layer. Sprinkle over half of the grated Gruyere cheese. Pour over eggs and milk mixture and sprinkle the remainder of Gruyere on top. Bake for 35-40 minutes until lightly browned on top and set inside (not jiggly). Garnish with a slice of broiled green tomato if that's the kind of thing you can do. Serve warm, chilled or room temperature.

Why we make it.

Years ago, I thought about opening a little order at the counter lunch spot called QUICHE! I know just where it should go and honestly it would kill, but I can't stay still long enough to operate anything. It's still a good idea. Quiche is great because it’s a multipurpose opportunity for nutritionally well-rounded resourcefulness. You can make it from anything else you’ve got as long as you’ve got a pie crust, milk and eggs.  It's lunch, it's dinner, it sits well in the fridge in between. It somehow manages to be elegant while having every common thing you need, and it always straddles that line between fattening and practical. I live on that line. This quiche follows suit in that it's made from what I had lying around, but that doesn't mean that it's not fantastic. Sour green tomato lightly spiced with fresh jalapeño pepper in a custard of smoky bacon scented Gruyere infused egg pie. Fattening, yet practical! That's why we make it.