I’m very affected by the weather – I wish I wasn’t but I am, and I remember my mum being the same. As soon as the days started getting lighter all our moods lifted, windows would be opened, daffodils bought and the heart-warming food that kept us going through winter would be replaced with new potatoes, salads, fish and of course, quiche. I love that my mum made her own quiches, they were always so light and tasty. This one is my favourite and would always be taken on picnics as the spring days got warm enough to eat outside.
Ingredients - serves 4
- 1 x 375 g (12 oz) pack of ready-made shortcrust pastry or make your own
- 25 g (1 oz) butter, plus extra for greasing
- flour, for dusting
- 1 small onion, sliced
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- about 10 cherry tomatoes, halved
- 200 g (7 oz.) spinach (I always use baby leaf)
- a squeeze of lemon juice
- 300 g (10 oz.) cream cheese
- 2 eggs
- a pinch of nutmeg
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- a bunch of watercress, to serve
Preparation method
- Preheat the oven to 180C (350F), gas mark 4. Grease a 23 cm (9 inch) loose-bottomed tart tin or alternatively make individual tarts using four 12 cm (5 inch) tart tins.
- Roll the pastry out on a lightly floured work surface to about 5 mm (. inch) thick. Use it to line the flan tin(s). Line the pastry with baking paper and then top with baking beans or rice and bake blind in the preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove the beans or rice and lining paper.
- Meanwhile, heat a large frying pan and melt the butter. Add the sliced onion and cook for 3–4 minutes until softened. Add the garlic, tomatoes, spinach, lemon juice and season to taste. Continue to cook for 5 minutes, then take off the heat.
- Mix the cream cheese, eggs and nutmeg together in a bowl. Pour this into the spinach mixture and stir to combine. Check the seasoning again and then pour the mixture into the baked flan case. Bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes for a large quiche, or 12–15 minutes for individual ones, until golden and firm on top. Serve warm or cold with a watercress salad.
