Denise says:

  • This is a delicious herb short crust pastry pie packed with summer vegetables.
  • The secret of a good quiche is to ensure that the pastry base is well cooked so that when you add the filling, the pastry does not go soggy.
  • There are endless choices of vegetables that you can use to ring the changes – but look at colour and texture so that they blend well. I have used red and green vegetables that are in season.
  • Although quiche is known as a dish of classic French cuisine, historical records indicate that quiche actually originated in the Middle Ages in Germany which the French later occupied and renamed Lorraine. The word 'quiche' is from the German 'Kuchen', meaning cake. The King Charles 111 Coronation quiche recipe is vegetarian, but it can easily be made vegan with a few substitutes.
  • Using tofu, vegan cheese, non-dairy margarine, cornflour and plant-based milks like almond/ oat or coconut milk would create a delicious alternative.
  • Preparation Time: 20 minutes plus 30 minutes chilling time
  • Cooking Time: 1 hour
  •   Serves: 6- 8 people

Ingredients:

  • For the Pastry
  • 250g plain flour
  • Pinch of salt
  • 125g cold butter/ non dairy margarine
  • 2 tablespoons fresh parsley
  • 1 egg
  • 1- 2 teaspoons cold water
  • Filling
  • 110g runner beans, stringed, halved lengthways and sliced
  • 110g fresh or frozen peas
  • 300ml milk / plant based milk
  • 25g plain flour
  • 3 large eggs
  • 110g ricotta cheese / vegan ‘cream cheese’
  • 3 small vine tomatoes, quartered
  • Garnish: Dusting of black pepper and torn leaves of fresh mint /parsley

Method

  1. Put the flour, salt and parsley into the food processor. Add the butter and an egg. Continue to whiz together until the pastry cleans the side of the bowl. Add the water gradually as required.
  2. Wrap the pastry in cling film and leave in the refrigerator to rest for 30 minutes.
  3. Lightly dust the work surface with flour and roll out the pastry so that it fits a 25 cm /10 inch deep loose based flan tin. (The pastry needs to be approximately 8 cm/ 3 ¾ inches larger to accommodate the depth of the tin.)
  4. Pre-heat the oven to 200 C/400 F/ Gas mark 6.
  5. Do you need to add in something here to explain you’re putting the pastry into the tin? Carefully roll the rolling pin over the tin to neaten the edges and trim the excess pastry. Line the pastry base with foil. Fill with baking beans and bake blind for 20 minutes in the pre-heated oven.
  6. Place the beans and peas into a saucepan of boiling water. Cook for 3 minutes or until soft. Drain and put into the pastry case.
  7. Using the same saucepan, add the flour followed by the milk stirring continuously over a low heat until slowly thickened.
  8. Beat the eggs into the sauce and generously season. Pour into the pastry case and scatter with blobs of ricotta cheese and tomatoes.
  9. Bake for 40 minutes until the filling is set, turning golden.
Cool for a few minutes before removing from the tin. Serve with a green salad.