A season changing favourite
As the Southern Hemisphere begins to observe the sun's rush to set each evening, and its reluctance to rise in the morning, it has become clear that we are well into Autumn. Leaves are beginning to turn a roasted colour; they are readying themselves to be shaken off as trees settle in to hibernate over Winter.
The weather has cooled, which calls for our seasonal menus to swap out salads for more warming and heartier dishes.
While I miss the sunshine during these months, Autumn and Winter come with their own perks. I do enjoy the comfort of a stew or casserole. Bakes are, also, such fun to get into. They're relatively easy to prep, and once they're in the oven, you can sit back and let the magic happen. When you play around with pastry, happy accidents like my persimmon pie are the result.
On a particularly chilly day, this week, I set to baking a quiche with some spinach, bacon, and leftover Camembert - an oddity in my kitchen. This recipe serves six, comfortably. If you don't have as many mouths to feed, freeze what is left for up to 3 months and reheat as you desire.
Ingredients
1 roll shortcrust pastry
200g spinach
200g diced bacon
1 wheel Camembert cheese, sliced
6 eggs
1 cup double cream
1tbsp crushed garlic
1tsp chilli flakes
1 pinch salt
1 pinch pepper
Directions
1. Leave shortcut pastry to thaw
2. Preheat oven to 180°C
3. In a saucepan, brown garlic, salt, pepper and chilli flakes on medium heat
4. Add bacon and fry completely
5. Introduce spinach, stirring constantly until completely wilted
6. Set bacon and spinach aside to cool
7. Crack eggs into a jug and add cream
8. Whisk thoroughly
9. Place shortcrust pastry on floured surface
10. Using a floured rolling pin, roll pastry out, thinning it slightly
11. Place pastry in floured 24x18cm baking dish, using any residual pastry to crimp the edges
12. Layer the bottom of the pastry with spinach and bacon
13. Pour in egg filling
14. Decorate top with Camembert, then put quiche in the oven to bake for 45 minutes
15. Let quiche cool but make sure to serve it warm with a side salad of coleslaw.
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This is just one of the great recipes you can enjoy during the colder months. Pair the quiche with my aromatic mulled wine and you've got yourself the makings of a wonderful meal.
If you're yet to try the coconut crab soup I brought back with my from Zanzibar, what are you waiting for?!
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