Shallot Gruyère Quiche

This extra-special Shallot Gruyère Quiche is perfect for a special occasion, like my Valentine’s Day Brunch. It’s made with lots of butter, cream and eggs, so it’s not an everyday sort of thing. In general, I tend to make frittatas and crustless quiche as they’re easy and healthy menu items to make ahead for guests and even quick weekday breakfast, but this quiche is neither of those things. There’s a lot of slow cooking, to the point where I often make the crust and prep the shallots a day ahead. And healthy, not so much; but it’s well spent decadence. It is memorable; perhaps the best quiche you’ve every had? The crust is feather light, the filling is flavorful and melts in your mouth- pillowy eggs and melted gruyère. Did I mention it’s worth the trouble and the calories? I did? Well good, because it really is. A version of this Shallot Gruyère Quiche came from my friend Melanie (of Mel’s granola fame). It’s from an old cookbook her mother had that was a collection of home recipes. Unfortunately that’s all she knew about it and I can’t really give credit where credit is due. I have modified it extensively … Continue reading

French Onion Soup

I blame the cold, but I’m off task again with this classic French Onion Soup. It all started this morning as I wrote up my notes for the Cranberry Margarita. See, it’s a frozen margarita. And in general, I don’t even like frozen drinks (but this one’s great). I just came in from walking the dog. It was really cold. I started trying to say something positive about a frozen drink. I couldn’t. I started looking at old photos and thinking about what I wanted for lunch. Hint, it wasn’t a frozen drink. The next thing I knew, I was defrosting French onion soup and digging through the cheese drawer looking for a good melting cheese. Voila. French Onion Soup. Just what the weather ordered. Aren’t you glad I’m off task, and you’re seeing beautiful French Onion Soup. 2 pounds onions 3 sprigs fresh thyme (or ½ – 1 teaspoon dried- but the fresh is WAY better) 2 bay leaves ¾ teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour (optional- slightly thinner but gluten free) ¾ cup dry white wine ⅔ cup dry sherry (I like to use a fino here) 4 cups beef (or veggie) broth (no … Continue reading

Fieldtrip! Uplands Cheeses in Wisconsin

Today, you get a little insight into some of my many foraging expeditions: Fieldtrip! Uplands Cheeses in Wisconsin. This August, I got to go to Uplands Cheese while I was visiting the Madison area. This was a really special trip for me, because they make one of my favorite American cheeses, Pleasant Ridge Reserve. Uplands Cheese is about an hour drive out into the Wisconsin countryside from Madison. The hills get green and rolling, the barns become frequent, and the idyllic living we see in movies becomes three-dimensional. It reminds me of all the good parts of the rural living I grew up with. While there isn’t an Indian grocery store for miles (an important indicator of whether I would be willing to reside in a city or not), the food that is available was grown right there. You can meet the farmers. You can see the pride they take in their work. You can see a spotless dairy farm and cheese production site. It seems impossible that a dairy farm can be so clean, but it is. And then there’s the cheese. Pleasant Ridge Reserve is an alpine style cheese, kind of like gruyère. It’s nutty and sweet and … Continue reading