I saw it was going to be getting hot this week. Hot, humid, and sticky. So I decided I could use the oven while it was still on the cooler side and make a quiche to have for a few lunches.

In the recipe below I give the basic custard part of the filling, along with the extras I made this time. Be creative about whatever else you want to include! Many, many years ago, the first time I was in Chicago, a friend took me to Lou Mitchell’s, the famous diner in the West Loop Gate. On their menu is an omelette with sausage, Cheddar, and apples. Perhaps that seems unremarkable now, but back then, adding the apple to a sausage and cheese omelette was pretty interesting and innovative, at least to me. I kept that idea in mind, and began to play with the combination of meat and cheese and fruit in quiche.

I happen to love the meat-cheese-fruit combo, so this time I added prosciutto, blue cheese from High Lawn Farm, pear, and grilled ramps (from the last time I foraged, and, now that it’s hot, it was surely the last time for this year). Other times, I’ve added vegetables and herbs. If you have a vegetable with a higher moisture content, you might want to cut it into small pieces and roast them first so that there’s less moisture and it doesn’t affect how the custard sets. If you use some loose sausage or chopped bacon, you will want to sauté it before scattering it in the crust.

For the crust, you can use a store-bought crust from the refrigerator or freezer section of the supermarket. Last week I had made a two-crust recipe last week from Alana’s tutorial (which you can find here) when I made a single-crust blueberry-rhubarb crumb pie, so I had the other crust in the fridge that I used for this quiche.

Finally, I like to add a tablespoon of Dijon mustard to the custard for a bit of extra flavor, but feel free to omit if you prefer.

Quiche (with Prosciutto, Blue Cheese, Pear, and Grilled Ramps)

Makes 1 quiche

1 pie crust, homemade or store-bought

Suggested filling – the one I made this time:

3 thin slices prosciutto, torn into small pieces
6 ramps, grilled, bulbs and stems chopped fine, leaves torn
2 ounces High Lawn or other blue cheese, crumbled
1 pear, peeled, cored and sliced thin

Custard:

¾ cup milk
¾ cup High Lawn or other heavy cream
3 eggs
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard, optional
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Pinch ground white pepper, or black if you don’t have white

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Roll out the pie crust, or unroll it if it is a store-bought crust. Line a pie plate with the crust and pinch the excess on the edge to make a bit of a rim.

Scatter your chosen fillings on the bottom of the crust. I distributed the pieces of prosciutto, then the cheese, then the ramps, and finally the pear pieces.

Combine all the custard ingredients in a mixing bowl. Mix well with a whisk or egg beater. Pour over the fillings.

I usually line a half sheet pan with foil just in case (which I reuse over and over as long as there are no drips), and place the quiche on that. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until custard is set, puffed, and lightly browned.

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Custard Filling for Quiche, and Today's Version