Quiche with Herbs

Pastry
180g organic spelt flour
50g organic cheddar cheese
50g butter
5 tbsp water

Filling
100g butter
7 - 8 tbsp flour
1/2 cup boiling water
1/2 cup milk
eggs (2 to 5)
75 ggrated parmesan
200g grated cheddar
a big bunch of fresh herbs 

optional: (some quantities given here for an asparagus quiche)
asparagus
shallots

do
Put flour in a bowl. Grate in cheese. Mix. Grate in the butter. Mix (shake the bowl). Slowly add a little water. Knead to a pastry. Add more water as necessary for a firm but not sticky or dry pastry. Cool wrapped in a tea towl.
Chop herbs finely. 

Put butter in a small saucepan on medium heat. Add 7-8 tbsp flour when melted. Fry a short time. Gradually add boiling water while stirring vigorously. Avoid lumps. When the mixture is smooth but still firm, add cold milk while stirring. It will thicken as it gets warmer. Stir from time to time until it starts to bubble. Add more milk if it is too thick and heat it again. Turn off. Stir while cooling.
Beat eggs in the bowl. Add the mixture while beating. Add the parmesan.
Sprinkle a little flour on the tea towel. Roll out the pastry and put it into a buttered 28cm form. Bake at 180°c on the second shelf for 15-20 mins. 

Add some filling to the bottom of the pastry shell. Sprinkle some grated cheddar on it. Add whatever vegies, eg steamed asparagus chunks, or the fried white parts of shallots etc. Mix the herbs into the remaining mixture. Add it on top of the veges. Sprinkle grated cheddar on top. Bake at 180c for 45 - 60 mins till golden. Turn off oven and leave it in for a while.

Remove from form and cool.
Serve individual slices reheated on oven-proof dishes. Refrigerate. Best on the 3rd day.
Goes well with tomato salad and garlic.

Note: the quantities in this recipe can be varied a lot. Use more cheese or herbs. 2 eggs works nicely and so do 5. If you are using asparagus use a lot and add in layers. 5 bunches is delicious.

Asparagus quiche

get

2 bunches asparagus
200g spelt flour
50g hard mild cheese
100g butter

4 Tbsp olive oil
6 eggs
4 heaped Tbsp spelt flour.
150g hard mild cheese (cheddar, Bergkäse) (grated finely)
2 Tbsp Parmesan cheese (grated finely)
boiling water
1 cup spelt-almond milk

do

Break the hard bottoms off the asparagus stems. Wash them well.
Steam asparagus until soft. Cool and drain well.

Preheat the oven to 190°c.

Put 200g flour in a bowl. Mix in 50g cheese. Cut in 80g butter. Mix together with hands. Add drops of water and continue kneading until the pastry holds together. Cool.

Heat the olive oil with 20g butter in a small saucepan. When melted mix in 4 Tbsp flour and allow it to cook a little. Add boiling water bit by bit while mixing. The Flour mixture will absorb the water. Continue adding water until the mixture is a thick paste, then gradually stir in the spelt-almond milk. Add enough to make a very thick sauce. Stir occasionally while cooking for about 10 minutes. Then turn of the heat and continue stirring occasionally as it cools.

Roll out the pastry on a cloth. Form it to a pie shell in a 28cm round baking form. Sprinkle a little cheese on the bottom.

Beat the eggs well until foamy. Gradually add the warmish spelt sauce while beating, starting with a small amount. When it is all mixed in, spoon some into the pastry shell to cover the bottom.
Using scissors cut small pieces of asparagus into the pie shell. Discard any woody bottoms. Save the tips for later. Use half the asparagus. Sprinkle some cheese on top and then add more spelt sauce covering the asparagus.
Cut the remaining asparagus on top as before. Sprinkle with Parmesan and then add the remaining spelt sauce evenly on top. Arrange the asparagus tips on top and sprinkle the remaining cheese evenly on them.

Bake the quiche at 190°C on the second shelf from the bottom for 30 minutes.
When you are ready to serve the quiche, bake it for another 60 minutes at 180°C and serve it hot. Test it with a skewer. It can also be eaten cold later.