purslane and ricotta quiche

i haven't made a quiche in years but today i was inspired to make one because i wanted to experiment with cooking with purslane....quiches used to be de rigueur a couple of decades ago but they now seem quite old fashioned, however, after having revisited the culinary past i've decided to cook them more regularly..

purslane has been growing luxuriantly in my garden this summer..it always appears here and there but this year it's taken over my former garlic patch and it's begging to be taken more seriously than merely as a small player in a mixed green salad..after doing a bit of digging around on the internet i learned that purslane is high in alpha linolenic acid or omega-3 and it's also high in other nutrients and in terms of culinary use i found out that it can be used like spinach.. it seems it really does deserve to be taken more seriously..

purslane and ricotta quiche

tea with hazel

 pastry ingredients 

250 gms plain flour

125 gms cold butter cut into cubes

1/2 cup grated parmesan

1/2 teaspoon (tsp) salt

1/2 tsp chilli flakes

iced water with a squeeze of lemon juice

filling ingredients

3 cups purslane sprigs (discard the larger stems) washed

1 large onion sliced thin

200 gms ricotta

100 gms feta crumbled

1/4 cup grated parmesan and aged cheddar

4 eggs 

1/2 cup milk

1/2 tsp chilli flakes

1/2 to 3/4 tsp pepper

1 tsp salt

olive oil

pastry method

~ put flour, salt, chilli, cheese and butter into the bowl of a food processor and process until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs

~ using the pulse function add enough iced water until the mix starts to hold together

~ remove the dough from the bowl and knead the dough briefly until it forms a ball

~ form into a flat round, wrap in cling film and refrigerate while making the filling

filling method and making the quiche

~ steam purslane until just wilted and then spread onto a tea towel to cool and to absorb any residual moisture

~ saute the onion until softened and just browning on the edges and then remove to a plate to cool

~ roll out pastry to fit a 22 cm quiche tin with a removable base, place the pastry in the tin removing excess pastry and place the pastry lined tin in the fridge until the filling is ready

~ beat eggs with salt, pepper and eggs

~ add milk and cheeses and mix to incorporate

~ place the purslane and onion over the pastry and pour over the egg and cheese mix

~ bake at 190 deg c for 35-45 minutes or until the custard is set and the top is well browned

note

as i said earlier this recipe was pure experimentation but it's one that had a positive outcome because it's a flavoursome quiche that i will make again..and i can almost feel all the nutrients doing me a power of good..