Rustic quiche, heavy on the greens, with bagel seasoning

Name: Rustic quiche, heavy on the greens, with bagel seasoning
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 6-8
Cuisine: Modern Australian
Ingredients: softened butter, to grease the tin; 1 sheet (48cm x 27cm x 2.5mm) of frozen sour cream shortcrust pastry (I used Careme), placed in the fridge for 15 minutes to defrost slightly; 2 tbsp olive oil; 2 zucchini, ends trimmed, sliced lengthways into even slices; 1 brown onion, halved, cut into even slices; ½ tbsp ground cumin; 6 eggs; ½ cup sour cream; ¾ cup cream; ¼ cup grated parmesan; ¾ cup Persian-style feta; 2 cups spinach leaves, chopped; 1 cup finely chopped soft herbs (I used basil, dill, tarragon); 3 tbsp bagel seasoning*; 1 bunch of small asparagus spears (or other seasonal green of your choice)

Katrina Meynink

March 26, 2024

Bagel seasoning adds an extra something to this vegetarian quiche.Katrina Meynink

easyTime:1-2 hoursServes:6-8

Quiche and I have a complicated relationship. A failed pastry seal in culinary school saw me cleaning those huge pastry ovens of exploded quiche Lorraine filling long after my fellow commis chefs had gone home. I break out in a cold sweat whenever I think of that scrubbing.

But this quiche and I get along just fine. And you will be firm friends, too. She is intentionally free-form and rustic, and all the more robust for it.

The addition of bagel seasoning adds a different kind of crunch. It is a wonderful bedfellow for the greens luxuriating in their herby egg bath.

Ingredients

softened butter, to grease the tin
1 sheet (48cm x 27cm x 2.5mm) of frozen sour cream shortcrust pastry (I used Careme), placed in the fridge for 15 minutes to defrost slightly
2 tbsp olive oil
2 zucchini, ends trimmed, sliced lengthways into even slices
1 brown onion, halved, cut into even slices
½ tbsp ground cumin
6 eggs
½ cup sour cream
¾ cup cream
¼ cup grated parmesan
¾ cup Persian-style feta
2 cups spinach leaves, chopped
1 cup finely chopped soft herbs (I used basil, dill, tarragon)
3 tbsp bagel seasoning*
1 bunch of small asparagus spears (or other seasonal green of your choice)

Method

Step 1
Preheat the oven to 185C fan-forced (205C conventional). Line the bottom of a 23cm springform cake tin with baking paper and generously grease the sides with butter.
Step 2
Gently place the pastry sheet over the tin and push down into the sides, pleating the edges of the sheet if necessary and allowing it to overhang at the top – we don’t want to cut and waste any of that glorious pastry. Line with baking paper and fill to the brim with pastry weights or dried beans.
Step 3
Add the olive oil, zucchini, onion and cumin to a roasting tray, and use your hands to turn and coat the vegetables in oil.
Step 4
Pop both the pastry shell and the tray of zucchini in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes.
Step 5
While they cook, add the eggs to a large bowl and whisk to combine. Add the remaining ingredients, excluding the bagel seasoning and asparagus, and stir to combine. Add 2 tablespoons of the bagel seasoning to the filling, season thoroughly with salt and pepper, and set aside.
Step 6
Remove the tray of zucchini from the oven and set aside for 10 minutes to cool. Meanwhile, take the pastry tin from the oven, remove the weights and paper, then return the tin to the oven for another 10 minutes to brown the base of the quiche shell.
Step 7
Chop three-quarters of the zucchini into bite-sized pieces, reserving a few whole strips to dress the quiche. Add the chopped zucchini pieces to the egg mixture, then pour the mixture into the quiche shell. Gently place the reserved zucchini slices and the asparagus spears on top. Scatter over the remaining tablespoon of bagel seasoning.
Step 8
Bake the quiche for about 45 minutes or until it looks puffed and brown on top and there is only the slightest wobble in the centre. It will look slightly lighter in the centre. Don’t panic − this is OK. Allow it to cool slightly in the tin before removing, and especially before cutting. Season again with salt and pepper before serving.

Note: To make your own bagel seasoning, mix 1 tablespoon each of nutritional yeast flakes, onion powder, garlic powder, black sesame seeds, white sesame seeds and poppy seeds.