Leek & Mushroom Quiche

Did You Know? Just like humans, mushrooms can produce Vitamin D upon exposure to sunlight and UV radiation. A four-ounce serving of Maitake mushrooms, produced by the Hokto-patented methodology, contained 85% of the Daily RDA for Vitamin D.

I was recently contacted by Suzanne Hardy of Edelman Public Relations, on behalf of my stuffed mushroom post a while back. Their Mushroom Council division was going to be launching a new site, The Mushroom Channel, and she was wondering if they could feature my recipe. I was so thrilled to help out, as mushroom are one of my favorite foods, so of course I said yes.

The Mushroom Channel is all about uniting the mushroom lovers out there while speaking to their versatility and nutrition. It's about sharing delicious, existing content, in a user-generated way. I've already spent hours gawking at delicious recipes, and thumbing through interesting information on their former site, so I know this new channel, with your help, is going to be great. It's an amazing site, so I encourage all of you to check it out and upload some recipes, while you enjoy some of this Leek & Mushroom Quiche.

Of course I had to post another mushroom recipe in honor of The Mushroom Channel, so after scouring the web for something delicious, Deb from Smitten Kitchen pulled through, as always. I've spent countless days drooling over everything she posts, not to mention her appearances in and on Martha (both magazine and television). This particular quiche, was adapted from Julia Childand came together beautifully. Filled with slightly caramelized leeks and mushroom, enveloped in a creamy custard base, and finished with a wonderfully golden and cheesy crust, it's brunch fare at its finest. In fact, we ate this quiche for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, feeling a little empty when the last crumb was gobbled up. This was the first quiche I had ever made, and I hate to say that I don't think it can be outdone. When you're on the hunt for a delicious, simply, and satisfying dish, look no further. Served with a simple arugula salad, I'll definately be making this again very soon.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Using half of the pate brisee, roll out the dough to fit a 9-inch tart pan (with a removable bottom). Press into pan, and trim edges flush with the sides using a rolling pin or knife. Prick the bottom of the crust with a fork to prevent it from puffing up.

Line the crust with a layer of aluminum foil, and then fill the tart shell with pie weights, rice, or dried beans. Bake for 8-9 minutes, remove the foil and weights, and bake an additional 3 minutes, until the crust just starts to color. Set aside to cool.

Lower oven temperature to 375 degrees.

Boil the leeks over moderately high heat in a heavy-bottomed, covered saucepan with 1/2 cup water, two tablespoons butter and a teaspoon of salt until the liquid has almost evaporated (watch carefully so it doesn't burn), this takes about 8-10 minutes. Keep covered, lower heat, and stew gently for 20 minutes until leeks are very tender, stirring occasionally. Set aside in a separate bowl.

Add a tablespoon of butter to the pan along with the sliced mushrooms, 1/4 teaspoon of salt and vinegar. Cover pan and cook over moderately low heat for 8 minutes. Uncover, raise heat, and boil for several minutes until liquid is completely evaporated and mushrooms are beginning to saute in their butter. Stir cooked mushrooms into leek mixture.

Whisk the eggs, cream/milk, and a little salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl to blend. Gradually stir in the leek and mushroom mixture. Pour into the pastry shell, and sprinkle the cheese on top. Bake in upper third of the oven for 30 minutes until puffed and golden-brown.

*You'll definately have extra filling leftover. I put mine in the fridge, and made scrambled eggs with it the next morning after adding a couple more eggs.*

I just moved back to school for second semester, so I'll try my best to keep the recipes coming. I never stop reading your pages, and I do look forward to all of your lovely comments, so don't go anywhere. Happy cooking, and wish me luck in the dorm kitchen!

Oh She Glows has another tasty and wholesome food giveaway (ends the 29th).
Diet, Dessert, and Dogs has a giveaway for both U.S. and Canadian residents (ends the 30th).