Vegetable Quiche
for the rosemary crust:
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 t salt
1/2 cus plus 2 T vegetable shortening
1 T fresh chopped rosemary
1 egg
3-5 T ice cold water
1/2 T white vinegar
Stir the flour and salt together and then cut the vegetable shortening in with a pastry cutter until mixture looks like coarse meal. Add rosemary. In a separate bowl beat the egg with 3 T water and vinegar until it comes together. Add half of the egg mixture to the flour mixture and stir with a fork adding more water as necessary until it comes together and just starts to form a ball.
Lightly dust your work surface with water and turn dough out onto surface and form it into a ball and lightly knead until it just looks incorporated. Form into a disk and wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes or more.
for the filling:
1 T butter
1 small onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup red pepper, diced
4 oz spinach
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
5 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1/4 parmesan cheese, plus 1 T for top
1/2 cup jack or cheddar cheese
salt and pepper
Melt butter in a medium saute pan and add the onion and cook until it begins to soften. Add garlic, red pepper, and seasonings and cook an additional 5 minutes. Add spinach and cook until spinach wilts...remove from heat and allow to cool. In a medium bowl beat the eggs, milk, parmesan cheese, and salt and pepper. Add cooled vegetable mixture and cherry tomatoes.
To assemble:
Roll out dough and line a 9-inch pie pan, prick crust with a fork. Bake at 400 degrees for 7-10 minutes or until slightly brown. Reduce heat to 350 degrees. Add egg mixture to crust and bake for 45 minutes or until center is set and knife comes out clean when inserted. Remove from oven, sprinkle remaining cheese on top and bake an additional 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.
