Week 11: Quiche Lorraine

I once made the made the most amazing scones. They were quiche lorraine scones full of green onions, bacon and swiss cheese. The cheese oozes out of the scones and gets a little crispy sometimes. Mmmm. My mouth waters just thinking about them. Plus they have bacon in them. For some reason, I was thinking about them this week. I wanted the real thing though. I wanted quiche and since I've never made a quiche lorraine, I decided to go for it. This isn't a true quiche lorraine because it has the wrong ingredients, but it's close-ish. And the onions are cooked in the bacon juices. Goodness did my house smell good. Quiche is one of those things that you can really add anything to and it's still good. Got some veggies? Throw them in there. Some meat? Add that too. Cheese? Yum. Throw them in if they match. You just have to be careful not to put too much of something in there because it'll rise a little bit and you don't want it to overflow.

I will also admit that I alternate between being a pack rat and purging my things. I hold on to movie tickets from middle school, books that I might read one day, and calendars. I think that I have four calendars hidden away in boxes or drawers that I, for whatever reason, could possibly use one day. That day was today.

Before

I used the 2007 calendar that had radiographs of flowers in it. They are x-rays of various flowers, all in black and white. Since my new comforter is very slightly off-white, yellow and dark grey. I figured that the black and white flower prints would look really good with my new bedspread. I cut the flower images down to 10 1/2 inch squares then mounted them on 12 inch black foam core. I got to use my spray mount too. Here they are, each image, mounted on my wall. :) You're welcome Mom.

After

Close ups of the flowers:

Tulips

Clematis

Calla Lilies

Lily with Bud

Daffodil

 Alstroemeria

Quiche Lorraine

originally from Hungry Cravings

6 ounces bacon, diced
1 small yellow onion, diced

2 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
1 cup heavy cream
Generous pinch freshly grated nutmeg
Kosher salt
Freshly ground white pepper
4 ounces shredded Gruyère
1 partially baked pie crust

Heat a medium, heavy sauté pan over medium-low heat until hot but not smoking. Add the bacon and fry, tossing frequently, for 9 to 10 minutes, or until rendered. Transfer the bacon to a small bowl. Pour off all but about 2 tablespoons of the fat from the pan and reserve for another use. Add the onion to the pan and sauté for 7 to 8 minutes, or until soft. Transfer to the bowl with the bacon and let cool. Preheat the oven to 400ºF.

Blend together the eggs and yolk in a small bowl. Stir in the cream and nutmeg and season to taste with salt and white pepper. Spread the bacon mixture and Gruyère in the bottom of the tart crust. Slowly pour in the egg mixture. Bake for 28 to 30 minutes, or until puffy and golden brown. Let cool slightly, cut into portions, and serve.

Makes 1 9-inch quiche, serving 6 to 8. Best served warm.