Country Quiche

This is a great recipe for an easy dinner or a nice brunch (especially in the mini version). These are also great to take on trips (they can be refrigerator) for an easy lunch in the car.

Ingredients

8 slices bacon (I just use crumbled bacon from a bag and pour it in till it looks good)
1 small onion, chopped
4 eggs
2 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon dried parsley
¼ teaspoon dried thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
1 (9inch) unbaked pie crust (or 2 cans crescent rolls)
¼ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
½ cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
2. Place bacon in large skillet to cool till done and drain (this step is only needed if you are using bacon strips)
3. Sauté onion till soft
4. In a large bowl, beat together eggs, milk, flour, parsley, thyme, salt, and pepper. Add bacon, onion, mozzarella, and cheddar – mix well.
5. If using pie crust: Pour into pie crust.
6. If using crescent rolls: Either form rolls into a pie crust OR flatten out the rolls and pinch together each of the seams. Cut circles with a small wine glass or biscuit cutter. Press circles into greased mini muffin pan and fill with 1 tps of egg mix.
7. Bake in preheated oven for 45 min (or 20-25 min for mini quiches) or until lightly brown on tip and firm in the middle.

Servings: 48 mini quiches or 8 servings of the large pie crust.

sef

Artichoke Heart Truffles

3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
3 ounces goat cheese, room temperature
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon dried tarragon
1/8 teaspoon pepper
paprika (for color)
2 6 1/2 ounce jars artichoke hearts, strained

Mix the Parmesan and parsley together in a small bowl. Combine the cream cheese, goat cheese, lemon zest, tarragon, and pepper in a medium bowl. Add the artichoke hears and mix to coat each one liberally. Transfer to the bowl of Parmesan and roll to cover completely. Place on a waxed paper-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with paprika. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 pour. Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.

Photo by Emily

New Potatoes Stuffed with Feta, Green Olives, and Pine Nuts

12 small new potatoes
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 cup feta
1/4 cup pine nuts
2 tablespoons chopped green olives
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon dried currants
1/2 teaspoon chopped lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon oragano
1/4 teaspoon pepper
24 parsley leaves for garnishing


Cut a thin slice off the top and bottom of each potato. Cut the potatoes in half crosswise. Place in a large saucepan and cover with water. Add the salt. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and let simmer. Cook until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork, 10 to 15 minutes. Be careful not to overcook. Drain and let cool. Crumble the feta with a fork in a small bowl. Add the pine nuts, green olives, olive oil, currants, lemon zest, oragano, and pepper. Mix well.
To assemble, scoop out the center of each potato with a spoon. Fill the centers with a heaping teaspoon of the feta mixture. Garnish with a parsley leaf.

Photo by Emily

Stuffed Grape Leaves

A Screen on the Green staple, excellent when paired with grapes and white cheeses. Spices can be added or subtracted quite easily to taste. Proper care of the grape leaves themselves (blanching, rolling, etc.) takes some practice, but worth the effort!

In a medium bowl, combine:
1 ½ cup uncooked sushi rice
2 bunches finely chopped green onions
3 large, extra-ripe tomatoes, grated
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 teaspoons cumin

Cover and let rest for two hours. While mixture is resting, drain 10 oz. can of grape leaves in colander and rinse thoroughly. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Blanch the grape leaves, in batches if necessary for 4 to 5 minutes. Drain and immediately rinse under cold running water. Trim tough stems if necessarily.

One mixture has rested, mix in:
1 cup fresh snipped dill (dried works okay too)
½ cup chopped fresh mint

To create the dolmathes:
Place a heaping teaspoon of filling in the bottom center of each grape leaf. Fold the bottom over the filling, then fold the sides over it and roll up, tucking the sides in as you go. Place the grape leaves seam-side down in a medium saucepan, snugly next to each other, in layers. Pour lemon juice over them (the juice of 1 large lemon, or more to taste), then fill the pot with just enough water to barely cover the surface of the dolmathes. Cut a piece of parchment (wax) paper to the circumference of the pot and fit it over the leaves. Cover with a plate to keep the grape leaves in place and place the lid on the pot. Summer until the pot juices are absorbed, about 50 minutes. Can be served warm or chilled.

Grandpa E's Salsa

Foolproof fresh salsa, developed by someone who grew up on a Southwest Indian Reservation, which is practically Mexico – so it’s the best.

1 bunch chopped cilantro
2 bunches chopped green onion
1 14 oz. can tomatoes
1 small can tomato sauce
½ cup water
4 garlic cloves
4 yellow chili peppers
Dash of garlic powder
Dash of lime or lemon juice

Chop cilantro, onions, and tomato pieces in blender. Add remaining ingredients and mix well in blender.

Note: if yellow chili peppers are too hard to find, as they seem to be in the DC area, substitute 2 Habanero peppers – but wear gloves if you do. If you need convincing, ask Leeann to share her story about the time she didn’t.