Zucchini and Pecorino Cheese Quiche

Shhhhhhhh! We're slowly approaching number 10... 

But as we're waiting to leave for Rome, we need to eat, don't we? Although this quiche sounds more like something you'd enjoy in the summer, when in a hurry, I'll take my chances even on a frosty autumn day. 'Cause it's so delicious. Zucchini and cheese, packed inside a thin, crisp shell, smell of basil and marjoram. Can you say no to such a beauty? 

Unbelievably, my basil plant is still alive, it's a little miracle, considering that the last two days the temperatures are well below zero. 

Ohhhh, I forgot to say, number 10 stands for our wedding anniversary  ^__^ 

I'll be away for a couple days, visiting Rome to celebrate and spend a few days together, see you next week. Stay warm and eat well!

Zucchini and Pecorino Cheese Quiche

* 1 sheet of ready pate brisée (pie crust)

* 3 medium sized zucchini (about 300-400 g)

* 100 g fresh pecorino cheese (or some other cheese of your choice)

* 2 eggs

* 1,5 dl heavy cream

* 2 TBspoons grated parmigiano cheese

* a small bunch of fresh basil leaves

* 2 marjoram twigs

* salt and pepper

Roll out the dough very thinly and line a pie dish covering the bottom and the sides. Trim the excess dough (keep the leftovers for the top grid). Place the plate in the fridge while preparing the filling and heating the oven.
Shred the zucchini, salt them and leave in a colander for at least 10 minutes to lose some of the water. Squeeze well with your hands to remove some more water.
Whisk the eggs with the heavy cream. Add the parmigiano, the finely chopped basil and marjoram leaves, and the zucchini. Mix well, add salt and pepper to your taste.

 

Cut the cheese into thin slices or shred it.

Fill the quiche shell with layers of zucchini and eggs filling alternating them with the sliced/shredded cheese.

Cut the dough scraps into strips and form a grid on top of the quiche. 

  

Bake the quiche in the oven preheated to 180°C for 35-40 minutes and serve warm.

NOTE: when I'm in a hurry, a storebought pate brisée is a good and quick solution. When I think ahead and am in the mood, though, I prefer making my own. Here's the recipe I usually follow: 

Sift 300 g of flour with a pinch of salt on a kneading board, add 100 g of cold butter, chopped and rub it in to form coarse crumbs. Add approx. 125 ml ice cold water and quickly bring everything together - the less you knead it the better. Form a ball and then flatten it into a disc. Wrap it tightly with a piece of plastic wrap and let rest in the fridge for at least 1 hour. For better results, let it sit in the fridge one day. It keeps well in the fridge for 3-4 days or up to 2 months if frozen.

Quiche con zucchine e pecorino

* 1 rotolo di pasta brisée già fatta

* 3 zucchine medie (circa 300-400 g)

* 100 g pecorino fresco

* 2 uova

* 1,5 dl di panna fresca

* 2 cucchiai di parmigiano grattugiato

* un mazzetto di basilico fresco

* 2 rametti di maggiorana

* sale e pepe q.b.

Srotolate la pasta brisée e usatela per ricoprire una teglia tonda (tipo per le crostate). Tagliate via la pasta in eccesso ma conservatela per la griglia. Mettete la teglia con la pasta nel frigo mentre preparate il ripieno e riscaldate il forno a 180°C.
Grattugiate le zucchine con una grattugia a fori grossi, salatele e mettetele in un colino per circa 10 minuti. Poi strizzatele bene.
Mescolate le uova e la panna in una ciotola. Unite il parmigiano grattugiato, le foglie di basilico e maggiorana sminuzzate e le zucchine. Salate e pepate.
Tagliate il pecorino a fettine sottili o grattugiatelo con una grattugia a fori grossi.
Riempite il guscio della quiche con strati alternati di ripieno di zucchine e fettine di formaggio.
Tagliate i resti della pasta in striscioline e formate una griglia sopra il ripieno.
Cuocete la quiche nel forno caldo per circa 35-40 minuti. Servitela calda o tiepida.

Quiche s tikvicama i sirom

* 1 pakiranje gotove paste brisée

* 3 srednje velike tikvice (oko 300-400 g)

* 100 g svježeg pecorina (ili nekog drugog sira)

* 2 jaja

* 1,5 dl svježeg slatkog vrhnja (nezaslađenog)

* 2 žlice ribanog parmezana

* svežnjić svježeg bosiljka

* 2 grančice svježeg mažurana

* sol i papar

Tijesto razvaljajte tanko i utisnite u niski okrugli kalup tako da pokrijete dno i stranice. Odrežite višak tijesta tako da bude u ravnini s rubom kalupa (sačuvajte odrezane okrajke).

Stavite kalup s tijestom u hladnjak dok pripremate punjenje i pećnica se grije.

Ako želite sami napraviti brisée tijesto prilično je jednostavno, samo ga treba pripremiti unaprijed, najbolje dan ranije. Potrebno vam je: 300 g brašna, 100 g hladnog maslaca i oko 125 ml ledeno hladne vode. Prosijte brašno na radnu površinu i dodajte mrvicu soli.

Dodajte hladan maslac narezan na listiće i utrljajte ga vršcima prstiju u brašno.

Dodajte jako hladnu vodu (količina po potrebi, meni je trebalo otprilike 125 ml) i zamijesite čvrsto, elastično tijesto. Ne mijesite previše, tek koliko je potrebno da se sastojci povežu.

Omotajte tijesto prozirnom folijom i ostavite u hladnjaku najmanje 1 sat (još bolje preko noći).

Pasta brisée može stajati u hladnjaku 3-4 dana ili u zamrzivaču do 2 mjeseca (prije upotrebe odmrznite je).

Tikvice naribajte na krupniji ribež, posolite ih i ostavite u cjedilu 10-ak minuta.

Zatim tikvice dobro iscijedite stišćući ih rukama.

Pomiješajte u zdjeli jaja i vrhnje, razmutite ih pjenjačom.

Dodajte parmezan, sitno nasjeckani bosiljak i mažuran i iscijeđene tikvice. Dobro izmiješajte i posolite i popaprite po ukusu.

Pecorino (ili neki drugi sir vama po izboru, emental, gaudu, i sl.) narežite na tanke ploškice ili naribajte na krupni ribež.

Napunite tijesto tako što ćete stavljati naizmjenično slojeve tikvica i sira.

Od ostataka tijesta izrežite trakice i složite ih u mrežu preko nadjeva.

Pecite quiche u zagrijanoj pećnici, na 180°C, 35-40 minuta.