Julia's Cheese Quiche

Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking
Cheese Quiche
I saw this recipe and decided it would be the ideal one to use my manna eggs in. When I cracked them open, there were so beautiful. The yolks were dark orange and very solid—as small as nickels. They were tiny so I used all four of them where this recipe calls for only two. Merci, wild chickens!
3 oz cheese
6 oz. cream cheese
2 tbsp softened butter
3 tbsp cream
2 eggs (or four, if you found them under your coconut tree)
Salt and (white) pepper
Cayenne to taste
½ tbsp minced green onion tops (or chives)
An 8” partially cooked pastry shell placed on a baking sheet.

Preheat the oven to 375. Blend the cheeses, butter, cream and add the eggs. Force through a sieve to get rid of the lumps. Stir in the herbs and spices. Pour into the pastry shell and set in the upper third of the oven. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the quiche has puffed and the top has browned.
Rating: A. Yummy! The quiche was so fluffy and rich.
Note: The recipe suggests using Roquefort, camembert, brie, or Liederkranz cheese. But I had a block of soft sheep cheese on hand, and used that, with tasty results. I also used LOTS more green onion tops, and still couldn’t hardly taste them.

Deceptively Delicious Baked Egg Puffs

Deceptively Delicious Baked Egg Puffs
2 large eggs
4 large egg whites
¼ c. carrot puree (recipe calls for yellow squash or butternut squash, but use what you got, right?)
2 tbsp shredded cheddar cheese
2 tbsp flour
½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
Preheat the oven to 400. Cut 4 ramekins or tiny coffee cups with cooking spray and set on a baking sheet.
In a large bowl combine the ingredients. Divide the mixture—at a scant ¼- ½ c. each—between the four mugs. Bake for 13-15 minutes, when they are puffy and the eggs are no longer runny.
Rating: B
Notes: Yummy! This didn’t turn out like the picture, which looks like an ethereal angel food cake. Mine looked like puffy scrambled eggs with bits of carrot. But they were very tasty!

Easter in February this year?

Can you see it?

How about now? Under the Samoan coconut tree?

Lookathat! Like Easter or something!

I found 4 wild chicken eggs under the tree-- I'm thrilled! I haven't quite eaten them yet. I'm trying to think of something suitable. I'm hoping there won't be any little bones or feathers inside, but if there are, that will be a new culinary experience.
Thanks for the bounty, nature! Who needs grocery stores? Now I just need some gallons of milk to come tumbling from the clouds.
This is one of those rare posts that intersects with each of my scattered blogs, so if you are disappointed to see the same one thrice, sorry!

How To Cook Everything's Chocolate Pudding

Chocolate Pudding

2 oz unsweetened chocolate
1/2 c. sugar
3 tbsp cornstarch
pinch salt
3 eggs
2 1/2 c. half and half
2 tbsp softened butter
1 tsp vanilla

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or small saucepan. Meanwhile combine the sugar with cornstarch and salt. In a separate bowl, combine the eggs and half and half. Stir the liquid into the powders and heat over medium heat, whistk to eliminate lumps and then stir until the mixture thickens. The recipe claimed 10 minutes, but after 25 I finally cranked the heat to medium high and got the job done in another five. Add the melted chocolate, and stir to combine. Add the butter and vanilla. Cover with plastic wrap, directly on the surface of the pudding. Refrigerate.

Rating: B-
Notes: Sad, huh! It seems so right! But the Joy of cooking vanilla recipe was just so much better. And the half and half and butter were excessive-- they didn't add anything. Too bad. Still infinitely better than anything instant, with a nice dark chocolate flavor. I'm just convinced there are better chocolate pudding recipes out there.

Joy's Tomato and Goat Cheese Quiche

Joy's Tomato and Goat Cheese Quiche
Basic Pie or Pastry Dough

1 and 1/4 c. flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c. chilled lard
1 tbsp cold butter
3 tbsp ice water

Sift together the flour and the salt. Cut in the fat, and sprinkle on the ice water and mix until it just holds together. Shape the dough into a disk, wrap it in plastic and refrigerate it until ready to use. Roll it out and fit it into a 9" pan. Brush the dough with a beaten egg yolk and refrigerate.
Preheat the oven to 400. Set a rack in the lowest position in the oven.
Drain and squeeze out the liquid of a pound of canned tomatoes and set them aside.
Combine until smooth:

4-6 ounces fresh goat cheese
3/4 c. cream
1/2 c. milk

Add and whisk until smooth:

3 eggs
1 tbsp chopped parsley
3 tbsp chopped basil
pinch salt
black pepper.

Put the squeezed tomatoes in the pastry shell, pour the cheese mixture over the top. Bake until the top is golden brown, 40-45 minutes. Let it rest 10 minutes before slicing.

Rating: A+. Rapturous. Lovely. Fluffy and salty and cheesy--- absolutely gorgeous. I wished I was a photographer this thing was so crusty and golden brown. I could eat it every day.