Somewhere around 1980, the word quiche became deeply naff and suburban. Towards the end of that decade, the rise of the gastropub heralded the entry of the tart, and everything that was once a quiche became tart-like. Same recipe, different name. Now it’s time to call a spade a spade and allow these rich eggy classics to reclaim their true identity.
The joy of being able to use fresh peas and broad beans makes all that shelling a pleasure, not a chore. And whilst you’ve got that time on your hands, take a minute to appreciate the nutritional value that comes with all that freshness: plenty of vitamin B5 (the one that’s good for your immune system) and C.
Obviously, if you can’t get yellow courgettes, green works fine – you just lose a few colour points. I’ve done little ones for the cutesy factor, but a big one would be equally delicious. You would have to cook it at a lower temp for longer, until the custard in the centre is just set.
| Source: Allegra McEvedy Taken from “Allegra McEvedy’s Colour Cookbook”, published by Kyle Cathie | |
| Prep time: 20 minutes |
Preheat the oven to 170°C/350°F/gas 4.
In a food processor, spin the flour for a minute, and then drop the butter down the chute in small knobs. Once incorporated, add the egg yolk, Parmesan and some seasoning. Tip out onto your workbench, and bring the pastry together with a little milk. Wrap in cling film and rest in the fridge until needed, for a minimum of 30 minutes.
Bring a saucepan of salted water to the boil and drop in the broad beans. Blanch them for 3-ish minutes, then drain under cold, running water and shell the lot.
Grease your mini tart tins with butter and then dust with flour; line with pastry, then chill in the fridge for 10 minutes. Blind bake (no beans necessary) for 8 minutes. Cool and then fill with your 3 kinds of veg.
Mix together the egg yolks and cream, add the chopped mint and some S & P, and pour over the quiches, right to the top. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the custard has just set. Let them stand for 5 minutes before serving with a few dressed mixed leaves.
6 individual tart tins, 10cm in diameter and 4cm deep, or whatever shape & size you fancy