Pear and Leek Quiche

Ok, so this dish is one i'm super proud of. because, in a moment of sheer genius (read: staring at the things i had in my apartment) I thought to myself...this could be good....GENIUS I tell you! It was delicious. a little hint of sweet - from the pears, and not too oniony - the leeks aren't too harsh, and deliciously cheesy!

ok - fine, it could have come out better, but the tastes, combined together, were unreal. Why don't people pair (haha get it) pear and onion together more often? With Gruyere cheese?? I mean, it doesn't get much better than this.

Here are some hilarious things that you only learn by doing:

1) if you pour too much egg mixture in the dish or don't use a deep enough quiche dish, it will spill out all over the bottom of the oven. Unless - in another moment of sheer genius, you think to put the quiche on a baking tray! Then you get like a pre- meal scrambled egg! (although it will still smell like everything's burning, and will set of your smoke detector) Point 1 relates to point 5, you'll see what i mean.

2) the pears make it a little bit moister, so it will take kind of a while to cook all the way through. I don't really know what to do differently... maybe sliced thinner? maybe cooked a bit before to let go of some of the moisture? layer them thinner, rather than layering them on top of each other? or to still get that pear taste - do a thin layer on the bottom, then another on top? I don't know. Try it out for yourself!

3)when you pre-cook your crust, you might want to listen when they tell you to cover the pie with parchment paper and fill it with dried beans....otherwise it blows up and gets overly crispy, and then you feel like a dufus.

4)also - i'm not sure i'll ever again use store bought pie crust. it was just not as good as home made, too thin, and not at all flakey. oh well, it was an experiment. It certainly saves time.

5) I really should just invest in a deep dish pie pan. or, you know. hint hint...someone could get it for me...... JUST SAYIN'.

Also - This is classic quiche base (eggs, milk, flour), so you can use this in the future, and, change the veggies, spices, etc, and make your own!:

Ok - here's the recipe for Pear and Onion Quiche:

Preheat oven to 425,

3 Large leeks

1-2 bunches spring onions

3 eggs

1 Tbs flour

1 cup milk

1/2 tsp salt

2 cup shredded cheese - I used Gruyere, because I had it from the previous recipe, and i think it was good because it wasn't too intense. Cheddar would also work great, as would swiss

1 red pear

dough (either pre made, or make your own!)

1. Roll out the dough (if you made your own, otherwise, unroll) into a pie pan (about 9 inches). Make the edges all pretty. Line with parchment paper, and fill with dried beans (as in - don't just think you can stick it in the oven and have it all turn out alright, although it won't be bad, per se. Bake in 425 degree oven for about 15 mins, until lightly golden.

2. Wash the leeks really well (they're surprisingly sandy), and slice them and the spring onions very thin. (Hint - I washed the leeks after i cut them). you want to cut the white and light green parts (you can be flexible, you know, use as much or little as you want).

Saute in 1 Tablespoon butter or olive oil until tender, about 20 mins or so.

3. While those are cooking, whisk flour, milk, eggs, salt and cheese together. Add the majority of the onion mix to the egg batter, and pour in the mix into the crust.

4. Finally, core and slice a pear very thin, arrange artfully on the top, and add the remaining onion mix around it. (you can peel it if you want, but then it's not as pretty).

Bake until set in the center - about 30 - 40 mins (check after 20 or so).

If the crust starts to brown, cover with tin foil. Let it sit for 10 mins when you take it out.

Then marvel at how professional it looks, and enjoy!