1 9 inch non-stick square pie dish/cake tin
1 square of savoury short pastry
100 g tasty cheese, cubed to 1cm
2 cups sliced mushroom
2 sticks chopped celery
[1/2 to 3/4 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup frozen corn kernels
50mm carrot, finely julienned
1/2 capsicum, chopped
1/2 cup chopped asparagus in season
To taste, chopped parsley etc]
2 rashers bacon, chopped (leave out for vegetarian version; add a little cheese, like blue vein or similar for extra protein and flavour zing)
4 slices of tomato for decoration
4 eggs
1 level teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
75-100g sour cream
1. Allow the pastry to thaw. Make a 3 to 4 cm diagonal cut in each corner, and shape the pastry to the pan, allowing the cut corners to overlap.
[Nota Bene: I haven't in all my life found a non-stick pan of any kind that remained true to label. Oil the inside of the pan and dust lightly with flour before adding the pastry]
Prick base of crust with a fork, in case steam forms under the case and blows a large bubble in the end product. (Some recipes advocate blind baking the crust first but it's extra hassle and the improvement if any I haven't noticed.)
2. Preheat oven to 180C
3. Lay out cubed cheese in the bottom of the crust, and place sliced mushroom on top. Then add celery, peas, (capsicum, etc, if used), corn and finally carrots and bacon pieces. It's something of a variable dish, depending what's in the vege bin at the time, but the cheese, mushrooms and bacon are pretty essential.
4. Combine the eggs, cream, salt and pepper, and beat well. Pour mixture over the mixture in the piecrust and make sure it's well distributed. Doesn't matter if it's a little below the surface; it will rise during cooking.
5. If you wish to garnish it, lay out the four slices of tomato on the top and place in the oven until set - about 30-45 minutes.
6. Use a plastic egg slice to remove quiche from dish onto a board or plate without marking or scratching the non-stick surface. Slice and serve.
