Crustless quiche with winter squash, leeks, and prosciutto

Crustless quiche is one of my favorite go to breakfast dishes for company – it looks beautiful, tastes delicious, and it’s all done at once.  What’s not to love?  I developed this crustless quiche recipe a few years ago by experimenting with ingredients that go well together.  Quiche is really forgiving that way, which makes it really adaptable to eating seasonally and locally.  Our local or regional ingredients include eggs from Laughingstock Farms, delicata squash from our CSA, and cream from Organic Valley.

Besides fresh, free range eggs, and seasonal produce, the key to a crustless quiche or savory tart is Herbes de Provence.  We use the Herbes de Provence from Dean and Deluca, although it would be simple enough to make your own.  The herbs included in their mixture are savory, fennel, thyme, rosemary and lavender, with the fennel playing a leading role.

Read Full Post »

Baked eggs with dungeness crab

Baked eggs, or eggs en cocotte, are a new dish for us.  For some reason, I avoided French egg dishes because I thought they would be overly complex or fussy.  Nothing could farther from reality with eggs en cocotte.  They also make an attractive presentation, so would be a great breakfast/brunch to serve to company.  The eggs are served in the their ramekins, hence, en cocotte.

The preparation couldn’t be simpler – butter the ramekins, add cream and other ingredients (like dungeness crab), add the egg, followed by cream and a dab of butter.  Put the ramekins in a water bath and bake at 350F for about 15 minutes.  They can sit in the water bath for 15 minutes or so while you are finishing other dishes for your brunch.  An egg dish that is pretty and patient is a perfect brunch dish.

We used leftover crab dip in our variation, but  artichokes, mushrooms, minced ham and cheese would also be delicious.

Read Full Post »