When the summer garden is bursting with Thyme, there never seems to be enough time to enjoy a leisurely quiche outdoors, so let’s make one!
Quiche
Quiche, in my family, has always been that traditional dish we make for holiday brunch gatherings.
Something we can make a day in advance and pop them in the oven for a special brunch together.
The quiche repertoire in my family has grown over the years; some want meat, others don’t, a variety of dairy-free options and gluten-free options have begun to replace our classic quiche.
On one occasion, when the request was for a gluten-free crust (ugh), I created one of the best quiche recipes ever: Potato Crusted Quiche!
It was like a nest of home fries with lots of yummy, eggy things inside!
Never Enough Time
My newest quiche, however, was created for the summer, a time when my gardens are bursting with herbs and veggies and I want to be outside.
I wanted a simply yet luscious quiche I could make in advance, and small enough to serve individual portions.
Individual portions allows for easy transport to anywhere in the garden, poolside, or deck.
It also allowed for me to make several crusts in mini tart shells, freeze those and just take them out when ready to fill and bake them.
This approach gave me more time to tend to my thyme and less time stuck in the kitchen during those healthy moments outside.
Thyme
Thyme is a tiny cluster of leaves that are huge in flavor. They are more intense than oregano or marjoram and so not much is needed when cooking with it.
While I first started growing thyme in my garden, which was a failure, then in pots on my deck, which did better, it was the pots I maintained indoors over the winter that taught me something about thyme; it doesn’t like it too hot!
The first dish I learned to make, using fresh thyme was a Master Class video with Gordon Ramsay teaching Fondant Potatoes. Oh My, those are fabulous.
It was his heavy handed use of thyme dropped into the hot cast iron pan along with the potatoes that amazed me. He just tossed entire twigs of thyme in the hot pan.
The thyme popped and sizzled and released the most amazing scent, which also imparted a beautiful flavor into the potatoes.
Thyme Quiche
I knew I had to create a simple quiche that had few ingredients but definitely showcased the flavor of the fresh thyme from my garden in it.
A simple, easy to assemble pie crust, or a store bought crust if you are really short on time.
Eggs, cheese, garlic and lots of thyme go into the crust and bake to perfection in under 30-minutes. Unlike a full size quiche which can take an hour to bake.
Mini Quiche Pans
While I do own half-a-dozen lovely tart size baking dishes I like to use when its just me at home, I do have a better idea for a larger gathering.
When making a variety of different quiche recipes for a large gathering, or simply making several quiche crusts to store in the freezer, I prefer to use Mason Jar Lids as an easy and very affordable mini quiche pan.
Ingredients Needed
- Butter
- Flour
- Eggs
- Soft Cheese
- Garlic
- Fresh Thyme
- Salt and Pepper
Equipment Needed
- Mini Tart dishes
- Mixing bowl
- Whisk
- Rolling pin
- Garlic press
- Cutting board
- Chopping knife
- Measuring spoons
- Oven
NEVER ENOUGH THYME QUICHE RECIPE
Equipment
- Quiche Dish or 4 individual tart pans
Ingredients
- Crust
- 8 tbsp Butter cold
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1 Egg whisked with enough water to measure 1/4 cup
- 1 3/4 cup Flour extra for rolling out
- Quiche
- 6 Eggs
- 4 oz Cheese soft or hard
- 1 Garlic clove crushed
- 1 tbsp Fresh Thyme chopped
- 4 Thyme sprigs
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350
- Crust – Place the butter, salt and flour into the food processor and pulse a few times to blend. With the machine running, slowly pour in the whisked egg (measuring 1/4 cup liquid), until the dough forms a ball, adding extra flour or a sprinkle of cold water as needed to form a soft dough ball.
- Divide the dough into 4-pieces if making individual quiche or make one large quiche. Roll the dough out on a floured surface just large enough to fit into the pans/pan.
- Quiche Filling
- Whisk the eggs, with garlic, salt, pepper and thyme until light and fluffy.
- Divide evenly into the prepared crust/crusts. Place thin slices of soft cheese across the tops of each quiche. Top with a sprig of thyme.
- Bake until the crust is golden and eggs are firm in the middle, about 30-minutes.
Notes
- Makes 4 mini quiche or 1 medium size quiche.
I believe the table... that place that draws people to gather, is the most powerful symbol of togetherness. All that happens before the table is set, the planning, the gathering, the preparing, are all an intricate part of the dance that create the mood of celebration to share with friends and loved ones.