A month or so ago i began a Farm Apprentice gig at Seeds At City Urban Farm. It's a on-campus organic urban farm started a few years back to educate students on how to grow their own food. Having read Omnivore's Dilemma about 3 years ago it sparked a genuine interest in alternative methods to eat responsibly and healthy. What better way to reduce waste and not buy into big agriculture than to eat local? And what's more local than your own backyard, right?So the apprenticeship has been wonderful in teaching me all kinds of methods to farm, irrigate, fertilize and compost. However my favorite part of the apprenticeship is learning how to eat new foods and how to cook with them. This brings me to: Brussel Sprout Leaves! I was given a bagful of these greens at the farm and was basically told "Go Forth and Eat!" This nutritious foliage of the Brussels Sprout plant is often not consumed in this part of the world and even on-line i could not find many recipes or examples on how to cook the darn things. So...i did what i always do when i can't find an adequate recipe....i winged it. I decided on Quiche since i've made it before and i knew my darling doubting boyfriend would eat anything with enough cheese and eggs.
So i came up with this recipe:
Spinach and Brussels Sprout Leaves Quiche.
Makes 2 pies
6 ounces of baby Spinach, chopped
6 ounces of Brussels Sprout Leaves, Chiffonade cut once and then a few times the other way.
1/2 a cup of chopped fresh green beans( or any vegetable you have in hand)
1/2 a cup of onion chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 shallots, chopped
3 ounces of cream cheese (room temp)
4 ounces of Farm House Cheddar (or any strong favorite cheddar), grated or crumbled
1 ounce of Blue Cheese (the stronger the better), crumbled
1/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
2/3 of a cup of milk
5 eggs
a teaspoon of dill or chives (be creative if you wish to use another herb here)
a pinch of nutmeg
a pinch of oregano
a pinch of lemon zest
Extra Virgin Olive oil (or whatever you have in hand)
Salt and pepper to taste
2 Pastry crusts (i used "The Joy Of Cooking" one)
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
In a medium pot, saute over medium heat the garlic in olive oil till fragrant. Add the shallots, onions, green beans and brussels sprout leaves and cook for 10 minutes. Add the baby spinach and cook for an additional 5 minutes or till the Brussels Leaves are tender. Salt and pepper lightly, keeping in mind the saltiness of the Parmesan Cheese. Set aside.
Shell two 9 inch pie pans with dough. You can pre-bake the shells but i found it not necessary.
Beat the cream cheese and milk in a large mixing bowl till incorporated roughly and begin to add eggs one at a time. You should have a semi fluffy mixture at the end. Add herbs, spices, cheese and sauteed greens and lightly fold in all ingredients. Pour into shells and fill almost to the top giving some room for expansion and bake for 35-45 minutes. Pull out when golden brown.
