#6 Radish Sandwich and Leek Quiche

We picked up our fourth bag of CSA produce today and so far I am really enjoying the experience.   The only item we have not used since we started four weeks ago is the bok choy.  I just cannot find a recipe that appeals to either Dave or I.  Our share today consisted of spinach, lettuce, peas, radishes and strawberries.  We will definitely use all of this week’s bounty.

In addition to many salads, roasted potatoes with fresh dill and sweet strawberries, I have also tried a few new recipes which was part of the reason I signed up for the CSA.  We have had a large supply of radishes and although Dave really likes them, I think he was tired of just eating them in his salad or with a little salt as a snack.  I remembered that my Dad use to make an open-faced radish sandwich I thought I would try.  The radishes are sliced very thin, then laid on bread that is generously buttered.  A touch of season salt and pepper topped it off.  Simple, but great for lunch.  Dave loved it.

Last night I made a leek and mushroom quiche which was inspired by a recipe on SmittenKitchen, however my version uses less butter and no cream.  The pie crust recipe I picked up years ago in a KRAFT FOOD magazine.  I mixed the crust ingredients before work and put it in the fridge to chill until time to make dinner.  It really was a quick process for something that looks pretty fancy.

Leek and Mushroom Quiche

For the crust:

1 ¼ c flour

1 tsp salt

½ cup shortening

2-3 Tablespoons ice water

For the filling:

2-3 leeks (white part only)

1 cup mushrooms, sliced and washed

¼ cup cheese of your choice (I used parmesan)

2 Tablespoons butter

½ cup skim milk

1. Mix flour and salt in a medium bowl.  Cut in shortening with pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
2. Add water, 1 T at a time, mixing lightly with a fork until flour mixture is evenly moistened and clings together when pressed into a ball.
3. Shape dough into a ½ inch flat disk, wrap with plastic and chill for at least 30 minutes.
4. When ready to assemble the quiche, lightly flour the work surface, then roll dough into a circle at least two inches larger than the tart pan.
5. Lightly transfer dough into pan and mold to sides with your thumb.  Remove excess crust hanging over the pan.
6. Cover crust with foil and bake in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes.  Remove foil and bake about 2-3 more minutes.
7. While the crust is cooking, sauté the sliced leeks and mushrooms in melted butter until soft.
8. Mix the leeks and mushrooms with four eggs, milk and the cheese.
9. Pour the egg mixture into the tart pan and bake uncovered in a 375 degree oven for about 30 minutes.

Now, I also have to share my sad kale story.  I have never eaten kale before and since I am not one for cooked greens, I thought I would try a recipe I kept seeing for kale chips.  Each recipe I looked at had raves over the taste of these chips.   I did not print any of the recipes because the process was pretty simple. I started by washing and drying the kale as directed.  The instructions specifically said to allow the kale to completely dry because if it were still moist when baked it would steam instead of roast.  I actually washed it in the morning, dried it, then let it sit in the fridge for the rest of the day.  I then tore the leaves into smaller pieces and put them in a bowl with olive oil and kosher salt, mixing to coat.  The individual pieces were then laid on a baking sheet in a single layer.

This is where it all goes wrong.  I thought for sure the recipe said 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.  Guess what, it said 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes, but I did not know that until the tragedy was over.  At about 18 minutes I saw smoke pouring out of my oven.  When I opened the door all I could see was a brownish-black residue on my baking sheet.  The kale was literally incinerated.  Hopefully I will get kale again in my CSA share so I can try again, although I probably do not deserve it!