Fresh veggies from the farmers market combine with salty bacon and sharp blue cheese in this airy quiche perfect for weekends.
This recipe was created for my client Jones Dairy Farm but all opinions are my own.
Routine is important. That’s something I hear again and again — relating to kids, life, work and so much else. And it’s true. Routine makes us feel comfortable. It gives us purpose and direction. And it just makes life in a new place feel a little more like home a little faster.
One of the first routines I put in place when we moved to Maine was to get in the farmers market habit. Back home, we belonged to a CSA and also regularly shopped at a few local farmers markets. The kids and I both enjoy the experience of farmers market shopping and the spoils — fresh summer produce. It’s simply not to be missed.
We are fortunate that our new town, and surrounding towns too, have several farmers markets packed with vendors that appear weekly into the fall. The markets sell everything from fresh cheeses, milk, yogurt and buttermilk to eggs, chicken, poultry and more. And, of course, lots and lots of produce. Right now, we are in the middle of tomato season, which means the plump cherry tomatoes and curvaceous heirloom tomatoes are plentiful and cheap. But soon, they will disappear as summer winds to a close. As a result, we buy tomato after tomato each week, returning to favorite vendors for the sweetest ones.
The great thing about having farmers markets with such a wide selection though is that we can almost completely shop for the week with a single stop.
We go to at least one market each week — sometimes two. Fortunately, Will, 9, and Paige, 6, love it. We go from vendor to vendor, and I let them often dictate what we buy — from colorful carrots to cartons of fresh Maine blueberries. And each time we go, they also get a special treat: a giant cookie from one of the bakers at the market. As big as their heads, these cookies are soft, sweet, chocolate-dotted circles of delight. And I love that they both always give me a taste too.
But for me, it’s all about the veggies — and the eggs. I cannot get enough of local eggs, which are rich and have giant yellow yolks. If you’ve never had local free-range chicken eggs, they are worth trying since the flavor is so much more robust than typical store-bought eggs.
For this quiche, I used fresh Maine eggs, my favorite Jones Dairy Farm Cherrywood Smoked Bacon and veggies from the local farmers market to create an airy but robust quiche that is equally good for a lazy weekend breakfast or a fun Sunday brunch with friends. The sharp blue cheese adds great dimension to the combination of flavors. And beet greens? They add an earthiness to the sweet oniony flavor.
Want to make this? Trust me, you do! Start by browning the bacon. You want the bacon to get just browned — barely — and then transfer it to a paper towel-lined plate. Next, use two tablespoons of the rendered fat to then saute the veggies. Pile all the bacon, veggies and cheese into a deep dish pie shell and top with a mixture of eggs and milk. Then bake it until it’s set — about 45 minutes.
That’s it. Next thing you know, you’ll be digging into this veggie and bacon filled quiche, and loving every bite.
Hint: Want to speed up preparation a little? Make the bacon and veggies ahead of time and store in an airtight container in the fridge. Heat them slightly and then use as directed in the pie shell.
Farmers Market Bacon Quiche
Ingredients
- 1/4 lb Jones Family Farm Cherrywood Smoked Bacon, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
- 1 cup chopped baby beet greens, including stems
- 1 cup diced red onion
- 1 green pepper, finely diced
- 1 frozen deep dish pie crust
- 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
- 5 large eggs
- 1 cup milk
- Salt and pepper, dash
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- In a large skillet, cook the bacon until just browned. Remove from the skillet to a paper towel-lined plate.
- In a medium skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the rendered bacon fat. Add the beet greens, onions and peppers. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent – about 10 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl and stir together with the bacon.
- Place the pie crust on a baking sheet and spread the bacon mixture in the bottom. Sprinkle with crumbled blue cheese. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, salt and pepper. Pour into the pie crust.
- Bake for 40-50 minutes, until the center is set. Cool for five minutes before slicing and serving.
patsy
Wednesday 3rd of September 2014
I love farmer's markets, too! I wish we had longer growing seasons so that we could enjoy them further into the cooler months. This quiche looks like a perfect way to use those eggs!
Marye
Tuesday 2nd of September 2014
I haven't made a quiche in forever. I love fresh eggs.. We used to have chickens and I miss them so much!
Kate
Monday 1st of September 2014
I'm very into routine. I need to add quiche into that routine.