A Perfect Make Ahead Breakfast using Sugar Snap Peas and Caramelized Onions!

I forget about quiche for long periods of time, or perhaps I make them too often and tire of them. If it’s been a while, perhaps it’s time to revisit. When I would serve this to my guests at the inn, I looked for special local ingredients that perhaps they had not experienced in a quiche. Goat cheese and tomato, other special Vermont cheeses with whatever vegetable was perfect at the farm stand that day. New potatoes and sweet corn. If you make this in the spring, use lightly steamed asparagus, that’s how I originally ended up using the sugar snap peas, they were perfect one fine late spring day.

Local first of course, but don’t stress, use what you can find!

For this particular quiche, I used some local sugar snap peas I had frozen but you can use those available in the supermarket, or even substitute snow peas. The sweetness of the peas and the onions benefits from the cayenne. I used my Cheddar Cheese Tart Crust, but you can use any pastry you like, even store-bought if you are pressed for time. However, the cheddar crust is perfect!

If you make this the day before, you will thank yourself! Just warm it up gently in the morning while shreds of wrapping paper fill your house!

• I recipe Shortbread Tart Crust or No-Roll Cheddar Cheese Tart Crust
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 cup light cream or half and half
• 4 eggs
• 1 tbsp. Dijon
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne 
• Salt and pepper
• 4 ounces Gruyère cheese
• 1/2 cup or so chopped sugar snap peas, fresh steamed or thawed frozen
• 2 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese

Prepare and cool your tart shell.

Heat a skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil. Slice onion and place in pan, turning down the heat to medium-low. Stir onions occasionally for about 25 minutes, until they are brown and soft. You can’t hurry this.

Blender quick!

While the onions are caramelizing, preheat your oven to 350 degrees and prepare your custard. In a blender, place cream, eggs, Dijon, cayenne, salt and pepper, and process until smooth. Let relax so any bubbles you created can simmer down.

Place the tart shell on a baking sheet, and sprinkle the Gruyere evenly over the bottom. Dot with the sugar snaps.

Once the onions are finished, spread them evenly over the cheese and peas, and gently pour the custard over all, right up to the top of the crust.

Gently carry to the oven and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, turning it once so it will evenly cook and brown. Let cool for 10 minutes, and serve.

If you have leftover custard:

Make a few stuffed mushrooms, or make a batch in its own right! Place a few of the onions in each hollowed out mushroom, fill with the custard, sprinkle with cheese and bake at 375 for about 25 minutes, or until they start to brown. Makes a great appetizer, especially for those who are low-carb! A batch of the above custard will make about 24 large mushrooms.

© Copyright 2018 – or current year, Dorothy Grover-Read

Contact: dorothy@vintagekitchen.org