Zero Food Waste Savory Tart (Quiche!)
October 29, 2018 • Breakfast, Tarts
I absolutely hate wasting food. Having spent the past decade working to help end hunger through a variety of nonprofits, it fills me with guilt any time I throw something out. But it happens – food spoils, we sometimes overcook, we sometimes over serve ourselves, and sometimes, we just don’t know what to do with the scraps of various things that are left. That’s where this post comes in.
Savory tarts, what you might call quiche, are a fabulous vehicle for incorporating just about anything. I made an interesting crust this time using some whole grain flour, some heirloom wheat flour, and some everything bagel spice mixture. The recipe makes two crusts so freeze one for another time.
See those pieces of butter in the rolled out crust? That’s what makes a crust flaky. The butter melts when it cooks, releasing steam which creates layers in the crust. So whether you use a stand mixer, a food processor, or your hands to work the butter into the flour, make sure you leave pea sized pieces of butter in the dough.
Here’s the zero food waste part. I looked in my refrigerator and found some sad looking green onions, some dill from my CSA, a jalapeño that needed to be used soon, and some shallots.
I also had some chopped cooked kale in the freezer, part of a container of cottage cheese that was close to spoiling, and lots of eggs from my friend’s farm. Savory tarts (quiche) are very flexible – you can throw all sorts of stuff into them and I promise they’ll taste great.Who doesn’t want a slice of this for breakfast? Or lunch or dinner with a side salad? I freeze slices to eat later – just be sure to reheat in the oven, not the microwave, or you’ll lose that flaky crust.
- 12 ounces flour (all purpose or a mix of types)
- 8 ounces cold butter, cubed
- ½ cup ice water
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1-2 cups vegetables (see Notes)
- 2 cups cheese (I used a combination of cottage cheese and shredded mozzarella)
- ½ cup pine nuts, optional
- 12 eggs, beaten
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- Combine the flour and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix on low until just pea sized pieces of butter remain. Combine the water and vinegar and slowly drizzle in, just until the dough comes together. Use more water if needed.
- Remove dough and shape into a ball. Divide into 2 equal pieces and shape into a disk, then wrap in plastic wrap to refrigerate or freeze. When you're ready, roll out a chilled disk and fit into an 11-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Place the prepared crust on a baking sheet to prevent spills.
- Combine the vegetables and cheese and pine nuts (if using) in a large bowl, and stir in the beaten eggs. Add salt and pepper and stir to combine. Pour into the prepared crust and bake at 375 for 1 hour. Let stand a few minutes before slicing and serving.