CLASSIC QUICHE LORRAINE

Real men do eat quiche!  It's not just for a "Ladies Luncheon".  To save time, use a store-bought pie shell.

Pastry

1 ½ cup pastry or all-purpose flour

¼ t sea salt

6 T unsalted butter, diced

3 T ice cold water

In a food processor, mix the flour and salt together.

Add the butter and mix until it resembles bread crumbs.

Add the water a little at a time until pastry forms a ball.

Turn out onto a sheet of plastic wrap and loosely close up and form into a disc.

Refrigerate 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Once chilled, on a lightly floured surface, roll the pastry into a circle larger than the tart or pie pie.

Place the pastry into the pan and line with parchment paper or aluminum foil.

Fill with dry beans and bake for 10 minutes.

Remove beans and foil and bake another 5 mimutes.

Let cool before filling.

Filling

1 medium leek or medium onion

3 T unsalted butter

1 cup shredded Gruyére cheese or a mixture of Edam and Gruyére

8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

3 large eggs

1 ¼ cups half-and-half or heavy cream

¼ t sea salt

¼ t ground black pepper

¼ t ground nutmeg

In a skillet, melt butter and sauté leeks for 10 minutes.

Layer cheeses and bacon in pastry shell.

Whisk together the eggs, half-and-half or cream, salt, pepper, and nutmeg.

Pour into the pie shell and bake for 15 minutes.

Reduce heat to 300 degrees F and bake another 30 minutes.

Spinach-Cheese Quiche Lorraine

Add 1 cup chopped fresh spinach

Crab-Cheese Quiche Lorraine

Add ½ cup cooked crabmeat