We made it to 2021 … and, thankfully, it’s off to a good start! Rookie and I spent New Year’s Eve with my parents. While we didn’t stay up until midnight, we did enjoy watching a few episodes of The Wilds before turning in at 9:30 p.m.
The next morning, we all took a walk through Downtown Los Altos and then joined my brother, sister-in-law and nephews at Shoup Park. After lunch, Rookie and I headed back home to work on a fun project with Cal-Organic Farms and put together a pretty roasted beet quiche using some of the extra produce.
Whether you’re cooking for one or your family, this “tie-dye tart” is sure to please. It’s packed with veggies and two kinds of cheese and can be served at room temperature or cold. (Tip: The longer you let the roasted beet quiche sit, the easier it is to cut clean pieces. As you can see, I dug in too quickly and the filling bled onto the crust. An hour later, the slices came out nice and neat.)
Recipe adapted from Half Baked Harvest.
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup spelt flour
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, cut into small pieces
- 3-4 tablespoons ice water
- 2 tablespoons black sesame seeds
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 3 red and golden beets with greens
- 1 yellow onion, quartered
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 3 large eggs
- ½ cup whole milk
- ½ cup Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- ½ teaspoon dried chili flakes
- 1 cup grated Gruyère cheese
- 3 ounces double cream brie cheese, cut into small pieces
- In a large bowl, combine the flours and salt. Add the butter and rub it into the flour mixture with your fingertips until it resembles coarse meal. Add 3 tablespoons water and mix with a fork. If it is crumbly, add more water, 1 teaspoon at a time, until the ingredients start to come together. Add the sesame seeds and then use your hands to lightly knead the dough in the bowl until it forms a ball. Turn the dough out onto a work surface and shape into a disc; wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- Remove the dough from the refrigerator and let it sit for 5-10 minutes. On a lightly floured work surface, roll it out to a 14" circle. Carefully transfer the dough to a 9” springform pan, pressing it against the bottom and sides. Use a sharp knife to trim the edge of the dough so it comes about 2 inches up the side of the pan. Transfer the crust to the freezer and chill for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Line the chilled crust with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove the parchment paper and pie weights or dried beans and brush the entire surface with the beaten egg; reserve any leftover egg for the filling. Bake for an additional 10 minutes until golden. Remove from the oven and set aside.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Remove greens and stems from beetroots. Reserve greens and discard stems. Peel each beetroot and slice into ¼"-thick rounds.
- Place the sliced beetroots and onion on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, season with salt and pepper, and toss to coat.
- Bake for 25 minutes, remove from the oven and add 2 cups beet greens. Bake for an additional 5 minutes and remove from the oven. When the onion is cool enough to handle, cut into ¼"-thick wedges. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.
- In a large bowl, combine the leftover egg from preparing the crust with the remaining eggs, milk, Greek yogurt, parsley and chili flakes; whisk until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Scatter half of the prepared vegetables and half of the Gruyère and brie cheese over the prepared crust. Arrange the remaining prepared vegetables on top. Carefully pour the egg mixture over everything and sprinkle on the remaining cheese.
- Bake for 50-55 minutes or until the filling is set and the tip of a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Remove quiche from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes. Then remove ring and transfer quiche to a wire rack to cool for at least 30 minutes before serving.
