Ham and Mushroom Quiche - Foolproof All-Butter Pastry Tutorial

Pie crust is my "thing," and I make it by all sorts of methods, depending on my mood: food processor, stand mixer, by hand in a bowl, by hand on the worktop, with a pastry blender, with a bench scraper, with my fingers, you name it. Sometimes with water, sometimes milk or soured milk or buttermilk, sometimes egg, sometimes baking powder, vinegar or lemon juice. But always with unsalted butter. I love an all-butter pie crust. 

At one time or another I've made pie crust with shortening, part shortening and part butter, lard, part lard and part butter, even oil. But nothing is better than butter. I've been on a pie kick lately and decided my fingers needed a break, so I'd use the food processor. But I was itching to try something different, and I remembered that I'd heard years ago of a different food processor method but never got around to trying it. So, I adapted my usual (well, most usual) two-crust recipe to that method. And ...

I liked it! So, we've been eating lots of pies around here. Then I decided it had been far too long since I'd made a quiche and, working with what I had on hand, came up with my favorite quiche yet! Ham, onion, red bell pepper, zucchini, mushrooms, cheddar cheese. You can make substitutions, as long as you keep the total add-ins to not more than 2 cups of cooked items. Otherwise, you won't be able to use all the custard filling, no matter how high you fluted your pie shell; and you know how much I hate food waste!

Rather than tell you here what is so different about this flour-butter paste method, I'll invite you to read the directions for it below. And let me know what you think. Have you tried this method? If not, do! And make the quiche while you're at it. Don't know why, but springtime always seems like the right time for quiche!

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Ham and Mushroom Quiche & Foolproof All-Butter Pastry

The Pastry

(for two pie shells or one double-crust pie)

2 1/2 dip-and-sweep cups (12.5 ounces/354 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour, divided

1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (8 ounces/227 grams) unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch slices

5 tablespoons (2.5 fluid ounces/74 ml) ice water plus 1 tablespoon (0.5 fluid ounces/15 ml) apple cider vinegar

The Quiche

(makes one 9-inch quiche)

1 to 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided

8-ounce package (227 grams) mushrooms, chopped 

3/4 cup (4 ounces/113 grams) julienned ham

1/4 cup (1.25 ounces/38 grams) chopped onion

1/4 cup (1.25 ounces/38 grams) chopped red bell pepper

1/2 medium zucchini (3 ounces/85 grams) sliced

3 large eggs

1/2 + 1/8 cup (5 fluid ounces/148 ml) heavy cream

1/2 + 1/8 cup (5 fluid ounces/148 ml) milk

1/4 teaspoon salt, divided

1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper, divided

1/4 teaspoon marjoram

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 packed cup (4 ounces/113 grams) cheddar (or ...) cheese, shredded

1 Weigh (my kitchen scale) and measure flour, sugar, and salt in 2- to 2.5-quart mixing bowl. Whisk vigorously for about 30 seconds to "sift." With food processor's metal blade in place, scoop out half (1 1/4 cups) the flour mixture into the work bowl of the food processor (another 11-cup food processor). Spread the butter slices evenly over the fairly even flour mixture. Pulse until no dry flour remains and mixture is starting to form clumps of dough, about 25 to 30 one-second pulses. Don't get hung up on counting the number of pulses, just watch for the clumping to begin. With a silicone spatula, spread dough evenly around the work bowl. Sprinkle with the remaining flour and pulse until the dough is just barely broken up, about 5 1-second pulses.

 

2 Transfer the dough back to the 2- to 2.5-quart mixing bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 10 minutes or so before proceeding. Sprinkle the dough with the water-vinegar mixture and use the spatula to fold and press the dough until it comes together into a ball.

3 Turn the dough out, dividing onto two pieces of plastic wrap and flatten each slightly into a 4- to 5-inch round disk. Wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 3 days. You can even freeze the dough, wrapped well, for up to a month. To defrost the dough, move it from freezer to refrigerator for one day before using it. Let thoroughly chilled dough stand at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes for easier rolling.

Note: If you're making two pie shells, make the disks the same size. If you're making a double-crust pie, make one disk a little larger for the bottom crust. For a 9-inch double-crust pie (I always use the classic 9-inch Pyrex pie plate), I roll the bottom crust into a 13-inch circle and the top crust into an 11-inch circle. 

4 For single-crust pie: On lightly floured surface with lightly floured rolling pin, roll out the dough to 13 inches in diameter and 1/8 inch or so thick. Transfer the dough to the pie plate, pressing the dough (but not stretching it) to fit the pie plate, getting down into the corners, with a half- to one-inch overhang (trim with knife or scissors, and save in case you need to patch a little hole after the blind baking). Cover with the reserved piece of plastic wrap and chill for 10 minutes before fluting the edge. Cover and return to refrigerator while the oven heats up. Preheat oven to 375F/190C/Gas5. Line chilled pie shell with a square of foil and fill with pie weights (baking beans, in UK). I use two boxes of ceramic pie weights that store neatly in a 200-gram Twinings tea tin. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove pie weights. Prick the pastry bottom all over with a fork. Bake for another 15 minutes until golden brown. 

For double-crust pie: On lightly floured surface with lightly floured rolling pin, roll out the bottom crust dough to 13 inches in diameter and 1/8 inch or so thick. Transfer the dough to the pie plate, pressing the dough (but not stretching it) to fit the pie plate with a half- to one-inch overhang (trim with knife or scissors). Cover with the reserved piece of plastic wrap and refrigerate. Roll out top crust dough to 11 inches in diameter and 1/8 inch or so thick and place it on a rimless baking sheet; cover with reserved plastic wrap and refrigerate. Make pie filling. Then assemble pie and bake as directed. 

And now, to the quiche!

5 In a large skillet, heat a tablespoon of olive oil and cook the mushrooms, ham, onion, and bell pepper, adding more olive oil as needed. Use 1/8 teaspoon of the salt, 1/8 teaspoon of the pepper, and all the marjoram. Be sure all the liquid has evaporated. Cook the zucchini slices separately. Let cool a bit.

6 Preheat oven to 350F/180C/Gas4. Into the fully baked pie shell, put a third of the cheese, half of the ham and vegetables (except the sliced zucchini), a third of the cheese, other half of the ham and vegetables. Pour in the filling. Top with the remaining cheese and the zucchini slices. Set on a parchment-lined 15x10x1-inch baking sheet. Bake for about 50 to 70 minutes, or until it tests done. A slight wobble in the center is fine, but it should not be wet. The reason there's quite a time range given is because of the variables: your oven, how well cooked (moisture removed) the vegetables were, and so on. 

Note: It's always good to keep an aluminum pie crust shield handy in case your edges are overbrowning.

7 Let quiche stand for 20 to 25 minutes before slicing and serving.

Disclosure: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees at no cost to you by linking to Amazon .com and affiliated sites. This helps cover some of the costs of running the blog. Thank you for your support. 

Jean

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Classic Vegetable Quiche

Every time I make this classic vegetable quiche, I say, "I love this! Why has it been so long since I made it?!" It was a mainstay in my vegetarian days. In those days, I was seriously into nutrition as well so always made the crust with part whole wheat flour. Years later I had the opportunity to have a little chat with Julia Child about that!

My mother and I enjoyed reading cookbooks and watching PBS cooking shows together, especially Julia Child's, when I was just a child. I had all these "warm fuzzies" associated with Julia, since I spent so many hours in the kitchen with her (courtesy of PBS) and my mother. When I finally met Julia, it felt as if I were reuniting with a beloved aunt who had been a part of my childhood.

It was sometime around 2000 that I first met her. As a great admirer of hers since childhood, you’d think I’d have recorded the exact date of that first, and a few subsequent, meetings. These occasions were small gatherings of food people (I'm not keen on the word "foodies") enjoying a cooking demonstration followed by dinner. In each case, I marveled that the person cooking could do so with such an august personage in the audience.

I’ve always been pretty hard to impress — I waste no more than a glance (and not a single thought) on movie stars and other celebrities — but I was more than a little dazzled by Julia! She was quite easy to talk to as she seemed completely unaware of her special standing in these groups. My mother, who died years before I met Julia, would have been so impressed!

Anyway ... back to the subject of the little chat referred to in the first paragraph ... When I mentioned putting whole wheat flour in my quiche crust, she got that look and asked why I would ruin a perfectly good pie crust with whole wheat flour. Then she uttered those famous words she's said so many times, even to Jacques Pepin: We're not interested in nutrition, we're interested in taste!

My little watercolor sketch of a hen, in a card sent to a friend
who keeps chickens in her suburban backyard
and shares their delicious eggs

So here's the quiche recipe I made up "back in the day;" but in honor of Julia, let's leave out the whole wheat flour just this once! 

As always, I love your comments, though I might be a bit slower to respond to them this time as I'm having hand surgery on Friday and may find typing a bit difficult.

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Classic Vegetable Quiche

(Makes one 9-inch quiche)

The Pastry (not whole wheat!)

1 1/4 dip-and-sweep cups (6.25 ounces/177 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon baking powder
1 stick (4 ounces/113 grams) unsalted butter, well chilled
4 tablespoons ice water
1 1/2 teaspoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon additional ice water, if needed

The Filling

2 tablespoons (1 fluid ounce/30 ml) extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup chopped yellow onions
8 ounces mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 medium zucchini, thinly sliced
1/2 large red bell pepper, diced or julienned
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper, divided
1/4 teaspoon marjoram
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
4 large eggs (medium, in UK)
3/4 cup (6 fluid ounces/177 ml) milk
1/4 cup (2 fluid ounces/59 ml) heavy cream
2 teaspoons minced cilantro or flat-leaf parsley (or dried parsley flakes)
1 packed cup (4 ounces/113 grams) grated Cheddar and/or Jack cheese
Sprinkle of paprika

1 In medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt and baking powder. With coarse grater, grate butter into flour bowl. With fingers, quickly work the butter into the flour, leaving some pieces the size of small peas.

2 In small bowl, combine water and vinegar. Sprinkle over flour mixture while stirring with large fork. Add a little more water, if needed.

3 Turn dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap and flatten slightly into a 4-inch disk; double wrap; refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to four days. May be frozen for up to a month; defrost, wrapped, in the refrigerator.

4 Preheat oven to 450F/230C/Gas8. If dough is thoroughly chilled, let it stand at room temperature for 15 minutes before rolling. On lightly floured surface, roll out disk to a 13-inch circle about 1/8 inch thick. Place pastry in pie plate.* Bake, lined with buttered foil and weighted, for 10 minutes. Remove foil and ceramic pie weights, and continue baking for 10 minutes. Remove crust from oven and reduce oven temperature to 350F/180C/Gas4.

5 While crust is baking, prepare filling. In large skillet, heat the oil and sauté onions for 5 minutes. Add mushrooms, zucchini, red bell pepper, half the salt and pepper, marjoram and crushed red pepper to skillet. Sauté vegetables over medium-high heat until all the liquid released by the mushrooms and zucchini evaporates and there is some caramelization. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

6 In medium bowl (I use a 2-quart glass measure), combine eggs, milk, cream, cilantro or parsley, remaining salt and pepper, and cheese. Stir in cooled vegetables. Pour filling into prebaked pie shell. Sprinkle with paprika. Use a pie crust shield to prevent overbrowning of crust edges. Bake for about 45 to 55 minutes or until crust is golden and filling is set but with a bit of jiggle. Allow to cool for at least 15 minutes or all the way to room temperature. Delicious at any temperature. I use the silicone hotpads pictured as both pot holders and trivets for hot dishes.

* I think a glass pie plate gives the best results, and I always use the Pyrex Clear Oven Ware 9" Glass Pie Plate. There are lots of quiche recipes in Julia's Mastering the Art of French Cooking (2 Volume Set).

Disclosure: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon .com and affiliated sites. We are a ThermoWorks affiliate, earning a small commission at no cost to you on purchases made through our links. This helps cover some of the costs of running the blog. Thank you for your support.

Jean

Chicken Pot Pie — Double-Crusted Classic Comfort Food

Chicken Pot Pie is one of my all-time favorite cold-weather comfort foods. Pie and dinner all in one! I know the name "Chicken Pot Pie" is not appealing to anyone who associates that name with the mid-century modern frozen version.

The first frozen chicken pot pie came out in 1951 and has had various iterations over the ensuing decades of convenience foods. Some have crusts top and bottom, some just a top crust, but all are heavy on the sauce and light on the chicken and vegetables.  

When I make my little individual chicken pot pies, I give them just a top crust to leave more room in the ramekins for the filling. But a regular pot pie must have both crusts. And the bottom crust does not have to be soggy.

There are various ways to avoid the "soggy bottom" problem. You can prebake ("blind" bake) the bottom crust before filling and adding the top crust. Or you can brush the bottom crust with egg wash before filling and bake your pot pie on the lowest rack of the oven at an initial high temperature. The fact that I am in the habit of lightly buttering the glass pie plate might also contribute to browning. 

Let me know in the comments whether you are a fan of savory pies as well as sweet, and any pie tips you'd like to share, or pie questions you might have. 

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Chicken Pot Pie 

(Makes one 9-inch pie, 6 servings)

The Pastry

1 1/2 sticks (6 ounces/170 grams) cold unsalted butter

1/2 cup (4 fluid ounces/118 ml) milk

1 1/2 teaspoons cider vinegar
2 1/2 dip-and-sweep cups (12.5 ounces/354 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon non-GMO baking powder

1 large egg

The Chicken Filling

4 tablespoons (2 ounces/57 grams) unsalted butter
1/3 cup chopped onion

1/3 cup chopped celery

1/3 cup chopped red bell pepper

2/3 cup chopped carrots
1/3 dip-and-sweep cup (1.67 ounces/47 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups (12 fluid ounces/355 ml) chicken broth

1/4 cup (2 fluid ounces/59 ml) milk

1/4 cup (2 fluid ounces/59 ml) heavy cream

1/4 teaspoon marjoram

1/4 teaspoon thyme

1 cup diced potato

2 1/2 cups cold diced cooked chicken*

3/4 cup frozen peas (not thawed)

The Egg Wash

1 large egg, beaten

* I cooked 1 pound (16 ounces/454 grams) boneless skinless chicken breasts (thighs are good, too) seasoned with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper in skillet with 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, cooled and diced the chicken, and refrigerated it several hours ahead. You could even cook it the day before and make the pastry a day or two before.

1 Cut butter into 1/2-inch cubes and place in freezer for 15 minutes. In 1-cup glass measure, stir together milk and vinegar; let stand at least 5 minutes while proceeding with pastry. With metal blade in place, add flour, salt and baking powder to work bowl of food processor. Turn on for three seconds to combine. Add half the frozen butter and pulse for six 1-second pulses or until the frozen butter is the size of large peas. Add remaining butter and pulse for three 1-second pulses.

2 Whisk the egg into the soured milk. Pour half of the liquid over the flour and pulse for three 1-second pulses. Add the rest of the liquid and pulse for up to six 1-second pulses, or just until the dough forms large clumps. Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface and sprinkle it with flour. Press it into an even piece and divide into 2 equal pieces. Place each half on a square of plastic wrap and flatten slightly into a 4- to 5-inch round disk; wrap; refrigerate for at least 60 minutes or up to 2 days.

3 Let thoroughly chilled dough stand at room temperature for 10 to 20 minutes before rolling. On a lightly floured piece of parchment, roll out one piece of dough (save the plastic wrap) to a 13-inch circle and transfer it to a lightly buttered 9-inch pie plate, pressing dough (but not stretching it) to fit pie plate with about a one-inch overhang (trim with knife or scissors), cover with reserved piece of plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator.

4 Using the same piece of parchment, roll out the top crust just as for the bottom crust. Place it, parchment side down, on a half sheet pan, cover with reserved piece of plastic wrap and place in refrigerator for 30 minutes. 

5 In 3-quart saucepan, melt butter. Add chopped onions, celery and carrots. (Sometimes I use sliced mushrooms; you can use anything that adds up to the same amount.) Cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the flour, salt and pepper, and cook for a minute, while stirring. Stir in chicken broth, milk and, cream, marjoram and thyme. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes, until thickened. Stir in the diced potato, and simmer for 8 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool a bit. Stir in the cold chicken, and then the frozen peas. Taste and adjust seasoning. 

6 Beat the egg to use as an egg wash. Brush some of the egg wash inside the bottom crust; you'll use the rest on the top crust. Let rest in refrigerator for 20 minutes, or in freezer for 10 minutes. Move oven rack to lowest position. Preheat oven to 450F/230C/Gas8.

7 Pour the chicken filling into the chilled egg-washed bottom crust. Put top crust in place, trim and crimp. To vent the pie, make six 2-inch slashes. Brush the top with a thin, even coat of egg wash; let rest in refrigerator for 15 minutes. If desired, do a second thin, even coat of egg wash. Place the pie in a 15x10x1-inch baking sheet or a half sheet pan. Bake for 20 minutes (an excellent and inexpensive  kitchen timer); reduce heat to 375F/190C/Gas5 and continue baking for 20 minutes until crust is golden brown. Cool on wire rack for about 20 minutes before serving.

Disclosure: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon .com and affiliated sites, earning a small commission at no cost to you on purchases made through our links. This helps cover some of the costs of running the blog. Thank you for your support. 

Jean

Tomato Galette

Tomato Galette is a great way to use some of my bumper crop of tomatoes. My kitchen garden got a miss for a few years, and I thought I'd go easy on myself this first year reviving it and so planted just two tomato plants. Well, my organic soil must have been dynamite because those two plants took off immediately and grew so fast you could practically see it happening!

Thought a homegrown tomato deserved to have it's portrait painted!

For this recipe I used the regular tomato, a medium-sized round variety. For my Tomato Tart (you really must try it!) I'll be using the cherry, actually grape, tomato this year. Both of these recipes make even bland store-bought tomatoes taste the way they should, so don't feel you needn't bother if you're not a gardener.

Don't even think about taking a shortcut and skipping step four of the directions. Salting and draining the tomatoes is essential. If you don't, all the excess water in them will dilute the tomato flavor and make the crust soggy instead of crisp and flaky. And stick with the tablespoon of minced shallot; it's all you need to add plenty of flavor without it overtaking the tomatoes.

Also resist the urge to add herbs and spices. Anything more than a sprinkling of chopped parsley or chiffonade of fresh basil when the galette comes out of the oven only detracts from the tomatoes, which are the stars of the show.

What do you do with a bumper crop of tomatoes? 

Tomato Galette

(Makes one 11-inch tart)

The Pastry (food processor* method)

1 1/2 dip-and-sweep cups (7.5 ounces/213 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour 

3/4 teaspoon salt 

1/8 teaspoon baking powder 

1 stick (4 ounces/113 grams) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes and frozen for 10 minutes

1/4 cup (2 fluid ounces/59 ml) ice water plus 1 tablespoon, only if needed

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

The Tomatoes

1 1/2 pounds (24 ounces/680 grams) tomatoes, sliced 1/4 inch thick

1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon finely minced shallot
1 cup (4 ounces/113 grams) finely shredded medium cheddar or mozzarella or provolone or a combination
1/2 cup (1.75 ounces/50 grams) finely grated parmesan
About a tablespoon of beaten egg, cream or milk
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
Pinch of salt

Garnish: chopped flat-leaf parsley or chiffonade of fresh basil

1 With metal blade in place, add flour, salt and baking powder to work bowl of food processor. Turn on for three seconds to combine. Add half the frozen butter and process for 10 seconds or until mixture has the consistency of coarse meal. Add remaining butter and pulse for six 1-second pulses, or until the frozen butter is the size of small peas. 

2 Pour ice water and apple cider vinegar over all of flour mixture; pulse for six to twelve 1-second pulses or just until dough forms large clumps; do not over-process. (The amount of water you will need depends on your climate and the moisture content of your flour. You may need to use a bit more or less water than I do.) 

3 Wrap dough in a piece of plastic wrap and flatten slightly into a 5-inch round disk; double wrap; refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to three days. (Let thoroughly chilled dough stand at room temperature for 15 minutes before rolling.) 

4 Preheat oven to 400F/20C/Gas6. Toss together the tomato slices and salt; let stand 10 minutes. Drain off liquid and place tomato slices on paper towels or an impeccably clean kitchen towel; pat dry. In small pan, heat olive oil and saute shallot; cool.

5 On lightly floured 14-inch square of baking parchment paper (love my dispenser with slide cutter), roll out pastry to 14-inch circle (it will be about 1/8 inch thick). Irregular edges are fine; a galette is supposed to be rustic. Transfer pastry on parchment to an ungreased 18x13x1-inch half sheet pan or a 14x16-inch rimless baking sheet.

6 Scatter cheese over pastry, leaving a 1.5-inch (4 cm) border. Arrange tomatoes and cooked shallots over the cheese. Bring edges of dough up over the filling, sort of pleating as you go, about every 3 inches. Brush dough with about a tablespoon of beaten egg (or cream, even milk, if you don't have another use coming up for the leftover egg!). Sprinkle tomatoes with pepper and a pinch of salt if you think the previously salted tomatoes could use a bit more. Place in freezer for 10 minutes.

7 Bake for about 55 to 60 minutes, or until crust is golden. Cool slightly on baking sheet for about 10 minutes before cutting and serving. Cut into 4 pieces for a lunch serving, 8 for a first course serving, or into 12 to 16 skinny wedges for an hors d'oeuvre or afternoon tea savory. Serve warm or at room temperature.

* I've used the OXO Good Grips Pizza Wheel for Non-Stick Pans for years on galettes as well as pizza, and it cuts like a dream!

Disclosure: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon .com and affiliated sites. We are a ThermoWorks affiliate, earning a small commission at no cost to you on purchases made through our links. This helps cover some of the costs of running the blog. Thank you for your support. 

Jean

Rustic Spinach Tart - Ruff Puff Pastry

Rustic Spinach Tart is a recipe I developed decades ago when I was a vegetarian. Though it contains an egg and a half, it is not eggy, not a quiche. I made sure of that - because it's so easy for a vegetarian to get completely quiched-out!

I recall sprinkling the egg-washed crust with sesame seeds, but that's strictly optional. In fact, sometimes I skip the egg wash as well, as I did this time. If you like a shiny crust, though, do the egg wash.

Many spinach recipes call for frozen spinach, but I've only ever used fresh spinach. And I don't precook the spinach or the green onions, so the filling comes together quickly.

You can use any pastry you like, rolled out to a 15-inch circle, but Mr Delightful loves this pastry. If you're a fan of phyllo or frozen puff pastry, those work too. When cut into 16 or more wedges, the tart makes a great hors d'oeuvre or teatime savory.

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Rustic Spinach Tart

(Makes 1 9-inch pie)

The Pastry - Ruff Puff

1 1/2 dip-and-sweep cups (7.5 ounces/213 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 stick (4 ounces/113 grams) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes and frozen for 30 minutes
1 tablespoon lemon juice or cider vinegar
Ice water to make 1/3 cup (2.67 fluid ounces/79 ml) liquid

The Spinach Filling

1 5-ounce package fresh baby spinach, coarsely chopped
1 green onion, chopped (2 tablespoons)
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro or parsley
5 ounces jack cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons grated or shredded Parmesan
2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
2 large eggs, beaten, 1 tablespoon reserved for pastry egg wash
2 tablespoons milk
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon basil
1/8 teaspoon oregano
1/8 teaspoon dried mint
Pinch of nutmeg

1 With metal blade in place, add flour, salt and baking powder to work bowl of food processor. Turn on for three seconds to combine. Add the frozen butter and pulse for three 1-second pulses.

2 In cup, combine lemon juice or cider vinegar and ice water. Pour liquid over all of flour mixture and pulse for three 1-second pulses. It will be very crumbly. Don't worry about it. You might not need the entire 1/3 cup of liquid, so maybe just start with 1/4 cup and see how it feels.

Note: No food processor? No problem. On large cutting board, mix together flour, salt and baking powder. With pastry scraper, cut frozen butter cubes into flour mixture. Mix the ice water and vinegar and sprinkle over the mixture, tossing lightly with a fork. You'll think it's just a big pile of nothing, but don't worry about it.

3 Turn the crumbly dough out onto lightly floured 12-inch square of parchment paper, and roughly shape into a 10-by-5-inch rectangle. Using a bench scraper or just the paper, carefully fold one third of the rectangle toward the center, then fold the other end to the center, like a letter. (It will still be a crumbly mess at this point.) Rotate the dough 90 degrees, then press (no need for rolling pin until after dough has been chilled) the dough again into a 10-by-5-inch rectangle. Repeat. After that third turn, cover and place in the freezer for 20 minutes.

Note: Work rather quickly. If at any point in the process the butter starts warming up or the dough seems to be getting soft or sticky, immediately cover and refrigerate it until it firms up.

4 On lightly floured surface, with floured rolling pin, roll the chilled dough into a 10-by-5-inch rectangle. Fold into thirds. Rotate the dough 90 degrees, then roll out and fold again. Roll the dough out once more and fold again into thirds. Roll out and fold once more, for a total of 4 turns.

5 Chill for two hours before using, or wrap well and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 2 months.

Note: I have every kind of rolling pin there is, but the tapered French rolling pin is the one I use most often. The J K Adams FRP-1 is made in the USA of maple.

6 Preheat oven to 425F/220C/Gas7. Spray a 9-inch pie plate with cooking spray. Chop spinach, green onion and cilantro, put in a large bowl. Shred cheeses.

7 On floured piece of parchment 15 inches long, roll out pastry to a 15-inch circle, place in 9-inch pie plate set on a large baking sheet and put it in the refrigerator while finishing the filling. Don't try to make the pastry a perfect circle; this is supposed to be rustic.

8 Stir cheeses into spinach mixture, then stir in the flour. In small bowl, beat together egg (set aside 1 tablespoon for pastry egg wash), milk and seasonings. Stir into spinach mixture.

9 Turn filling into pie shell and fold in the edges of the pastry. Don't try to make it even or perfect. Add a teaspoon of water to the tablespoon of egg; brush it on the pastry just before it goes into the oven. Bake for 15 minutes; reduce heat to 375F/190C/Gas5 and continue baking for 35 minutes.

Tourtiere - French Canadian Meat Pie

Tourtiere (pronounced something like tor-tee-ehr), or simply, Meat Pie, is a dish my husband, whose father was French Canadian, remembers from childhood. Mr Delightful hadn't had this dish since his Mémé died many years ago. I decided to make it for him this week in honor of his sister who recently died.

Living far apart, we vacationed together every year and had such good times. I loved her and her sense of humor. One day on my first stay in her home we had watermelon. I was fixing some for Mr Delightful when she asked me what I was doing. When I told her that her brother only liked it this way, she rolled her eyes and said to him, "Brother, Ma would be so happy to know you married a girl who takes the seeds out of your watermelon." 

I don't know whether my sister-in-law ever made any foods from her childhood, but if she did they would have been foods from the French Canadian side because she and Mr Delightful did not think too highly of their mother's general cooking! 

Some of my sister-in-law's specialties were the Middle Eastern dishes she learned from her husband's family (here's tabbouleh). Everyone loved her stuffed grape leaves, which she always made in huge quantities. Another Middle Eastern dish she made was simply called meat rice, made with ground meat (lamb, I think) and spices, including cinnamon.

So she wouldn't have hesitated to use cinnamon in her tourtiere as many people do; but I just couldn't bring myself to do it, though I did use the allspice, mace and cloves, albeit in smaller amounts than generally called for.

Anyway ...

Cooking foods connected with a loved one who has died is one of the things that comforts me ... so ... for Linda ...

Tourtiere - French Canadian Meat Pie 

(Makes one 9-inch double-crust pie, 6 to 8 servings) 

The Meat Filling 

1 medium-large (12 ounces/340 grams) russet potato 
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 
3/4 cup finely chopped onion (1 8-ounce onion)
1 pound (454 grams) organic pastured ground pork
3/4 pound (340 grams) organic grass-fed ground beef
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/8 teaspoon mace or nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon cloves 

The Pastry 

2 1/2 dip-and-sweep cups (12.5 ounces/354 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 sticks (8 ounces/227 grams) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes and frozen for 15 minutes
2 tablespoons lemon juice or cider vinegar
Ice water to make 3/4 cup liquid

The Egg Wash 

1 large egg
1 tablespoon water 

Note: That makes waaaaay too much egg wash for one pie, so if you hate food waste like I do, plan to use it in something else the day you make this.


1 Peel potato, cut up, boil and mash (you should have 1 to 1 1/4 cup); set aside. 

2 In large skillet, heat oil and saute onion until soft, about 10 minutes. Add the ground pork and ground beef and cook over medium heat, stirring to break up the meat so that it won't cook into clumps. Add in the seasonings as the meat cooks until most of the liquid is gone, about 20 minutes, Stir in the mashed potato, mixing well. Taste and adjust seasoning. Cover and refrigerate until completely cooled, about 2 hours. 

3 With metal blade in place, add flour, salt and baking powder to work bowl of food processor. Turn on for three seconds to combine. Add half the frozen butter and pulse for six 1-second pulses or until the frozen butter is the size of large peas. Add remaining butter and pulse for three 1-second pulses.

4 In cup, combine lemon juice or cider vinegar and ice water. Pour 1/2 cup of liquid over all of flour mixture and pulse for three 1-second pulses. If needed, add a tablespoon at a time, over all of flour mixture, doing a 1-second pulse after each tablespoon, or just until dough forms large clumps; do not over-process. (The amount of water you will need depends on your climate and the moisture content of your flour.)

5 Turn dough out onto two pieces of plastic wrap, using a little more for the bottom crust, and flatten each slightly into a 4-inch round disk. Wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

6 Roll out the bottom crust (save the plastic wrap). It should be 13 inches in diameter and about 1/8 inch thick. Transfer dough to 9-inch pie plate, pressing it in place without stretching it; cover with reserved plastic wrap and refrigerate. Roll out top crust (again, save the plastic wrap) and place it on a rimless baking sheet; cover with reserved plastic wrap and refrigerate. 

7 Preheat oven to 425F/220C/Gas7. Spoon the meat filling into the pastry-lined pie plate, pressing it down lightly to compress it a bit. Brush the edge of the pastry with water and place the top crust, pressing the edges together to seal; trim and flute.

8 Beat the egg and water together and brush crust with the egg wash. Cut some steam vents or use a fork to make a pattern of small vent holes. Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 375F/190C/Gas5 and continue baking for 30 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting and serving.

Note: After the first 15 minutes, I put a pie crust shield on it to protect the already browned crimped edge.

9 Some families have the tradition of serving tourtiere with mustard, some with ketchup; still others, gherkins or pickled beets.

Jean

Savory Summer Tart with Easy No-Roll Tart Crust

Savory Summer Tart is the perfect dish for a summer picnic. It tastes great at any temperature. And the heavy lifting can be done a day ahead, so you can just relax on the day of your picnic.

Slice and roast the vegetables on a half-sheet pan, cool to room temperature, cover with lid or foil and refrigerate till the next day, if you like. Whip up the easy pastry, press it (yes, I said "press it") into the pan and pop it into the freezer until you're ready to assemble the tart and bake it.

If you've been not making tarts because you don't like to roll out pastry (as described here for the sweet version in Lemon Tart), you'll love this pastry. It's exactly the same dough I roll out, but you can just press it in the pan and it will come out exactly the same as if you'd rolled it.

(You might also want to try my no-roll pie crust used in my Blackberry Cobbler.)

What's a picnic without wine, right? I've been trying to find the perfect summer picnic wine, and I think I have. Besides having the right flavor and weight, this refreshing rosé called Gioia, has a screw cap; and if that's not handy on a picnic, I don't know what is!

Call me old-fashioned, but I love a nice wicker picnic hamper, a tablecloth and real dishes and glasses for a picnic. My wicker hamper holds all the accoutrements, while the food stays at a safe temperature in an insulated cooler. Put a larger picnic blanket on the ground before putting down the tablecloth. And a few cushions might not go amiss either!

Savory Summer Tart 

(Makes one 9-inch/23cm tart, 8 servings) 

The Vegetables

2 smallish to medium (2- to 2.5-inch diameter) tomatoes, each cut into 8 wedges
1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 medium bell pepper, cut vertically into 1/4-inch strips
2 medium zucchini, cut into 1/8-inch rounds
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon marjoram
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 

The Pastry - Pâte Brisée (a savory shortcrust pastry) 

1 1/2 dip-and-sweep cups (7.5 ounces/213 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (4 ounces/113 grams) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 large egg yolk (reserve the white for the filling)
1 tablespoon water, milk or cream 

The Filling 

1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheese* or crumbled fresh goat cheese
2 large eggs plus 1 large egg white
1/2 cup (4 fluid ounces/118 ml) milk
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper 

* I like to use a mixture, including a couple tablespoons of Parmesan. 

1 Preheat oven to 450F/230C/Gas8. Line a half-sheet pan or other large rimmed baking sheet with parchment. Spread prepared vegetables on parchment. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper, marjoram and red pepper flakes. Turn vegetables to coat with oil, placing tomatoes skin side down. Roast for 20 minutes. Let stand at room temperature to cool completely. 

Tip: Can be made up to a day ahead and refrigerated. 

2 Add flour and salt to work bowl of food processor; turn on for about 3 or 4 seconds to combine. Add chunks of butter; pulse to a crumb texture. Add egg yolk and cream; pulse until the dough starts clumping together. This is to be a crisp, more cookie-like crust, rather than a flaky pastry; so there's not quite the concern about over-processing. 

3 Lightly butter a 9-inch/23cm tart tin (1-inch deep) and set it on a baking sheet. Take 2/3 of the dough and press it evenly around the sides of the tin. Put the remaining 1/3 of the dough in the bottom and press it with your hand into an even layer. Using a straight-sided, round stainless steel measuring cup coated with a little flour, press it against bottom and sides to compact and smooth out the dough. Pop it in the freezer for 15 minutes while you preheat the oven to 375F/190C/Gas5.

4 Cover chilled pastry with a piece of foil, pressing it to fit well. Spread 2 cups of ceramic pie weights (that's two packages of Mrs. Anderson's ceramic pie weights), also called ceramic baking beans in the UK, over the foil. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove foil and weights; continue baking for 10 minutes, until lightly browned to a pale golden. Cool completely on wire rack.

5 While pastry is cooling, make the filling. In small bowl (I use a 2-cup glass measure), whisk together eggs, milk, salt and pepper until well combined. Let stand until pastry is ready. 

6 Turn oven temperature down to 350F/180C/Gas4. Arrange roasted and cooled vegetables in prebaked and cooled pastry shell. Cover with shredded cheese. Pour in filling. Bake (with tart tin on baking sheet) for about 30 to 35 minutes, until filling is set and knife inserted in center comes out clean. Let stand for 10 minutes before removing from tin and cutting. Allow to cool for about an hour to serve at room temperature.

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