Savory tart dough or a prebaked 8-inch (20-cm) tart shell (see recipe below)
Butter, for greasing
Quiche custard base:
⅔ cup (150g) crème fraîche
⅔ cup (160ml) heavy (double) cream
6 eggs
Freshly grated nutmeg
Salt and pepper
Sweet pea filling:
Salt
2 cups (300g) fresh peas
2 sprigs fresh mint, leaves finely chopped
Green bean filling:
Salt
2 cups (300g) green beans, trimmed
1 packed cup (30g) beet greens
1 tsp butter
Courgette goat cheese filling:
1 green courgette
1 yellow courgette
1 green bell pepper
7 oz (200g) fresh goat cheese
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C) if blind baking the tart dough. Preheat to 340°F (170°C) if you have a prebaked tart shell.
2. To make the quiche custard base, in a mixing bowl, whisk together the crème fraîche and heavy cream. Add the eggs and a pinch each of freshly grated nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Mix until the eggs are thoroughly incorporated.
3. If the savory tart dough has not been prebaked, butter an 8in (20cm) tart pan. Roll out the dough to about ⅛in (3mm) thick. Gently lift the dough like a tablecloth to relax it, then place it in the prepared tart pan (reserve any leftover dough for another use).
4. Prick the dough on the base with a fork. Place parchment paper over the dough and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 30 minutes – the base should remain slightly underdone to protect it during the final bake. Remove from the oven, carefully remove the pie weights, and cool.
5. In the meantime, make the filling of your choice:
Sweet pea filling: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Blanch the peas for 5 minutes, then shock them in ice water to preserve their color. Combine the peas with the mint.
Green bean filling: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Blanch the green beans for 5 minutes, then plunge into ice water. In a skillet, wilt the beet greens in the butter. Combine the green beans and wilted beet greens.
Courgette-goat cheese filling: Using a mandoline, slice the courgette and bell pepper into ribbons and set aside. Crumble the goat cheese over the base of the prebaked crust and top with the courgette and bell pepper ribbons.
6. Pour the chosen filling into the prepared tart shell. Fill to the top with the custard base and bake at 340°F (170°C) for 1 hour or until the crust is golden brown and the center of the quiche barely jiggles. Insert a knife about an inch from the edge and, if it comes out clean, it’s ready.
7. Remove quiche from the oven and let cool completely. Run a knife around the tart ring to release the crust.
Make mini or full versions of this courgette and goats cheese quicheDronG/Shutterstock
Savoury tart dough
This dough can be used for any savory quiche or tart. Make sure to check the dough measurements for each recipe because this base recipe makes more than is usually called for.
Makes: About 1lb (450g)
Prep time: 15 minutes
Bake time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
2 cups (250g) flour
9tbsp butter, softened (plus extra for greasing)
1tsp salt
6tbsp cold water
½tbsp white vinegar
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C).
2. In a large bowl, combine the flour and butter and rub them between your fingers until the mixture feels sandy. This coats the gluten with fat and makes the dough crumbly.
3. In a small bowl, dissolve the salt in the water. Add both the salted water and vinegar to the flour mixture.
4. On a clean surface, knead the dough with the palm of your hand until it is smooth and slightly elastic, 3 to 5 minutes.
5. To blind bake, roll out the dough to about ⅛in (3mm) thick. Grease an 8in (20cm) tart pan and line it with enough dough to cover and press it down with your fingers. Reserve the remaining dough for another use.
6. Cut a 9.5in (24cm) circle of parchment paper and place it over the dough. Fill with pie weights or dried beans and blind bake the crust for 30 minutes.
7. Remove from the oven and cool to room temperature, wrap in plastic, and freeze for later. There is no need to defrost frozen crusts before use. Just remove from the freezer, fill, and bake per recipe instructions.
Extracted from The Seasonal Pantry by Benoît Castel, published by Tra Publishing. Photography by Guillaume Czerw.
