Recipe: Gluten-free quiche by Tina Galhaut

Gluten-free quiche

Makes 8-10 first course servings or 6 main dish servings

Ingredients for the filling:

12 asparagus spears, tough ends cut off, and diced into 1/4 inch rounds

1 1/4 cups Swiss or sharp cheddar cheese (or combination), grated

5 organic eggs

1 1/2 cups organic half and half

Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Ingredients for the pastry dough:

1 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour

1/2 cup gluten-free quick cooking oats*

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup organic butter, cut into small squares

1 organic egg

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Prepare pastry dough: mix dry ingredients, then add cubed butter, mixing together with your fingers until the butter is evenly distributed and broken down into small “pebbles” through the flour, then add the egg.

Mix well, form into a ball and turn mixture out onto a gluten-free floured surface. Using your hands press and flatten the ball into disk, moving the dough often to prevent sticking, until it’s the size of the 10-inch pie pan.

Slide the dough into the pie pan and continue to press and flatten with your fingers until the dough is evenly distributed. This dough is resilient — don’t worry about tears, just keep “patting” them back together.

Scatter the uncooked asparagus into the pie shell, add the grated cheese, then add the egg mixture.

Finish by grating the fresh nutmeg onto the top of the quiche and place on the lowest oven rack.

The quiche should cook for about an hour. Insert a toothpick into the center to be sure it’s cooked thoroughly. Be sure to turn the quiche during the baking process to get an even heating and browning process.

Let quiche stand for 10 minutes before cutting. If made ahead, you can cover and refrigerate for up to two days. Serve with a garden-fresh salad and a crisp white wine.

The next time you’re invited to a picnic or potluck, bring a quiche! Be creative with the ingredients using what you have in the kitchen or what your garden is producing in abundance this summer! Turn your favorite “sandwich” into a quiche, think BL(A)T with the bacon and tomato in the quiche and the lettuce as a salad with avocado!

*Note: I usually add gluten free quick oats to my pies and breads as it adds a bit of texture and makes the mixture less silky and easier to handle. Feel free to omit this ingredient and replace it with gluten free all-purpose flour.

Tina Galhaut has been cooking, baking and living gluten-free these past four years, testing many recipes on her teenage son, Logan, until they are as good or better than the original. As wife, mother and co-owner of Z Bistro in North Carson, Tina and her chef husband Gilles offer many gluten-free selections on their menu. Contact Tina by email at atzbistro@gmail.com.