Because it is June and because my sweet friends are marrying the men they love, I am nostalgic for my own wedding and the months of preparation and celebration that led to our memorable day.
As an individual somewhat frightened by large crowds of people, I wanted a small wedding and an even smaller bridal shower. My sisters, women who know me well, found a lovely tea house near the mountains to host my shower. We sat around, sipping on brewed tea from vintage teacups, we broke apart buttery scones studded with wild berries, and we indulged in the most decadent slices of quiche I've ever seen.
The slices were enormous, the egg custard and the roasted vegetables were stacked at least 4 inches high, and the flaky pastry crust was encrusted with freshly grated Parmesan cheese. It was delicious, of course, but after a scone and a plate of fresh fruit, my stomach could barely handle half of what was on my plate. I gave it my best attempt and enjoyed the company of my famiy and friends.
With Lindsay's wedding fast approaching, I thought back to this special day. And so, the other evening, I decided to revisit my afternoon at the tea house. I brewed a delightful cup of Cinnamon Apple Tea, and I began baking my own quiches, much smaller but still delicious. These are perfect for a Sunday Brunch, an afternoon shower, or a light lunch or breakfast. Click on the link below the picture to read more.
As an individual somewhat frightened by large crowds of people, I wanted a small wedding and an even smaller bridal shower. My sisters, women who know me well, found a lovely tea house near the mountains to host my shower. We sat around, sipping on brewed tea from vintage teacups, we broke apart buttery scones studded with wild berries, and we indulged in the most decadent slices of quiche I've ever seen.
The slices were enormous, the egg custard and the roasted vegetables were stacked at least 4 inches high, and the flaky pastry crust was encrusted with freshly grated Parmesan cheese. It was delicious, of course, but after a scone and a plate of fresh fruit, my stomach could barely handle half of what was on my plate. I gave it my best attempt and enjoyed the company of my famiy and friends.
With Lindsay's wedding fast approaching, I thought back to this special day. And so, the other evening, I decided to revisit my afternoon at the tea house. I brewed a delightful cup of Cinnamon Apple Tea, and I began baking my own quiches, much smaller but still delicious. These are perfect for a Sunday Brunch, an afternoon shower, or a light lunch or breakfast. Click on the link below the picture to read more.
My husband loves me...and that olive
I adapted my quiches from a very popular recipe on the website, Allrecipes.com. Instead of using green chilies and cheddar cheese, I returned to my favorite quiche combination, roasted vegetables and parmesan cheese ( I even threw in a few olives for my husband).
In addition, I used regular muffin tins instead of the mini-muffin tins the original recipe called for. Now we all know I have no aversion to mini-muffin tins, but I wanted my quiche to be somewhat substantial, not too big, not too small, just right, as Goldilocks would have declared.
And while always adorable, mini quiches just take more work.
The result of my adaptations was a buttery basket of flavorful vegetables, melted cheese and slightly seasoned egg custard. As I sat down, with a cup of tea in hand, to take my first bite, I was transported back to my own bridal shower and along with the memory came all the love and support my family and friends bestowed on me that day.
And isn't that one of the reasons we all love food? It's ability to transport us back to a place or to evoke a feeling. I hope that you're able to share these wonderful quiches with someone you love so that your memories of egg and pastry can be as sweet as mine.
Speaking of sweetness...take the time to visit my dear friend Brian's wonderful blog. Today he posted my blueberry rhubarb jam recipe along with some delicious biscuits. I wanted to pop over to share a plate...if only we didn't live so far apart! His pictures and words are pitch-perfect, as always, and his blog is worth bookmarking...I promise you won't be disappointed.
In addition, I used regular muffin tins instead of the mini-muffin tins the original recipe called for. Now we all know I have no aversion to mini-muffin tins, but I wanted my quiche to be somewhat substantial, not too big, not too small, just right, as Goldilocks would have declared.
And while always adorable, mini quiches just take more work.
The result of my adaptations was a buttery basket of flavorful vegetables, melted cheese and slightly seasoned egg custard. As I sat down, with a cup of tea in hand, to take my first bite, I was transported back to my own bridal shower and along with the memory came all the love and support my family and friends bestowed on me that day.
And isn't that one of the reasons we all love food? It's ability to transport us back to a place or to evoke a feeling. I hope that you're able to share these wonderful quiches with someone you love so that your memories of egg and pastry can be as sweet as mine.
Speaking of sweetness...take the time to visit my dear friend Brian's wonderful blog. Today he posted my blueberry rhubarb jam recipe along with some delicious biscuits. I wanted to pop over to share a plate...if only we didn't live so far apart! His pictures and words are pitch-perfect, as always, and his blog is worth bookmarking...I promise you won't be disappointed.
At the teahouse, on a very cold Colorado day
Petite Quiches
1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened
3 ounces of cream cheese, softened
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup chopped roasted red peppers, drained
1/4 cup sliced black olives
2 eggs
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1. In a small mixing bowl, cream together your softened butter and cream cheese. Add flour and stir until well blended. Shape into 12 balls; cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
2. Press balls onto the bottom and up the sides of greased muffin tins. Sprinkle a rounded teaspoonful of cheese and 1 teaspoon of roasted red pepper and olives into each shell. Set aside.
3. In a bowl, beat together eggs, cream, salt and pepper. Spoon into shells. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving. Refrigerate or freeze leftovers.
1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened
3 ounces of cream cheese, softened
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup chopped roasted red peppers, drained
1/4 cup sliced black olives
2 eggs
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1. In a small mixing bowl, cream together your softened butter and cream cheese. Add flour and stir until well blended. Shape into 12 balls; cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
2. Press balls onto the bottom and up the sides of greased muffin tins. Sprinkle a rounded teaspoonful of cheese and 1 teaspoon of roasted red pepper and olives into each shell. Set aside.
3. In a bowl, beat together eggs, cream, salt and pepper. Spoon into shells. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving. Refrigerate or freeze leftovers.
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