Tomato, Basil, Onion Quiche

Today is the first day back for the LSU campus in Baton Rouge and although I can’t believe that the summer is practically over, I warmly welcome the promise of cooler days, autumn produce, and some much loved football games with friends.  

The fall semester is always my favorite semester–something about the months of October-December leave me with a constant smile.  Perhaps it’s because of the brightly colored leaves turning outside my childhood bedroom in New England, or perhaps it’s because food becomes increasingly rustic and savory.

But I can’t let go of summer just yet–the idea that every day is sort of like Saturday—so I offer up this creative take on a rustic onion quiche (previously seen here).  With the addition of basil and roasted cherry tomatoes, the quiche has a “summer meets fall” aspect that takes two of my favorite flavors—the freshness of summer and the hardiness of fall—and mixes them in a light and eggy batter.  

The combination of basil and tomato really gives the egg mixture a familiar, but complex flavor that’s made especially juicy by the ripe tomatoes and savory by the chopped basil.

For those of you looking forward to fall (or not ready to let go of summer), try this rustic Tomato, Basil, and Onion Quiche for breakfast this week.  It’s a great way to ease into the change of the seasons while still dealing with the fact that our southern Louisiana is boiling hot.

Tomato, Basil, Onion Quiche

This version of quiche adapts two of my favorite breakfast recipes on Clearly Delicious–Asparagus Onion Quiche and Mushroom Onion Quiche.  Like most favorite recipes, quiches can be reworked by what’s seasonal and available in your kitchen.  For me, that’s the onslaught of cherry tomatoes and the ever-handy onion.  Be sure to roast vegetables before adding them to quiche batter for a fully cooked realization of their full potential.

Ingredients:

* 1 serving All Butter Pie Crust Recipe (see here)
* 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
* 1 onion, chopped
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* Salt and pepper, to taste
* 2 tablespoons basil, chopped
* 1 teaspoon thyme
* 3 eggs, beaten
* 1/2 cup milk
* 1/2 cup cream
* 1 1/2 cup shredded cheese (I used a sharp cheddar and colby jack mixture)

1.) Prepare pie crust ahead of time using instructions in this post.  Preheat oven to 350F.

2.) Halve tomatoes and chop onions.  In a medium size saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil on medium head and add onion.  Sauté until almost translucent (about 6 minutes on my stove) and add in tomatoes.  Sauté until tomatoes are roasted and have rendered their juice making sure to season with salt and pepper, basil, and thyme.

3.) Prepare egg and cream mixture: add 3 beaten eggs to milk and cream.  Mix to combine and fold in cheese.

4.) Combine sauteed vegetables with egg mixture.  Mix until just combined and pour into pie crust.

6.) Bake for 25-35 minutes, or until a knife comes out clean and quiche is golden on top.

7.) Remove from oven and rest for 5 minutes.  Serves 4-6.

–Helana Brigman

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