I have gotten some questions on how our eggs taste. Quite simply? They're delicious.
Not only do our eggs taste different from store-bought eggs, but their texture is noticeably different. Their whites are much lighter and fluffier. The whites hold their shape and do not spread out all over the pan... this is because the proteins have not broken down as in old eggs. FYI, most of the eggs you buy in the supermarket are 2-3 months old. YUCK. The yolks are almost orange, which reflects the richness and variety of the chickens' diet (greens and corn make their yolks darker).
August and Tim have eggs for breakfast every morning. Scrambled, soft-boiled, fried and poached (inspired by Bread and Jam for Frances). Often an omelette. They're simply delicious when they're the star.
However Lisanne and I took a wonderful cooking class at
Barbara Lynch's Stir, where they were teaching recipes from the Tartine cookbook. Tartine is a French bakery in San Francisco that we used to frequent often on weekends (and stand in line with the rest of their devotees).
This quiche was unbelievably light and savory. In the class we made it with fresh chard - we just threw in raw strips before baking. We blindbaked the crust in a 9-inch pastry ring and doubled the recipe below to fill it. I would share the crust recipe with you... but Lisanne and I are both still struggling with it. We've now made this quiche several times and the dough is "melting" once we start baking the crust. We can't figure it out.
However we have used other pie crust recipes and they work great. I'm warning you... this recipe is like crack. You can add whatever you like to the egg mixture. However if you use bacon or pancetta, render it first. There is no cheese in this quiche. The creme fraiche gives it a custard-y lightness that is simply divine.
Tartine Quiche
5 large eggs
3 Tablespoons all purpose flour
1 cup crème fraîche
1 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground back pepper
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme
Place 1 egg and flour in bowl of a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl and mix at high speed. Whisk/mix the remaining 4 eggs until blended.
In a medium bowl, whisk the crème fraîche until perfectly smooth, then whisk in the milk. Pour the egg mixture through a fine-mesh sieve held over the milk mixture. Whisk in the salt, pepper and thyme.
Pour egg mixture into 10-inch fully baked deep tart or pie shell. Place in the oven and bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees and bake until the filling is set, about 30 minutes or longer.
The center of the quiche should feel slightly firm. Let quiche cool on a wire rack for at least 20 minutes to allow the custard to set up, so it will slice neatly. It can be served warm or at room temperature.
Yield 6-8 servings.
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