Brocolli & Spinach Quiche

It's not that I haven't been cooking and baking, just that our stomachs shout their requests before the camera manages to come out of the bag.

This was supposed to be a Seafood Quiche, but like all cooking, adapting it to your taste is far more important than following a recipe.

Quiche

The original shortcrust pastry I replaced with a more flavoursome Parmesan pastry.

175g Wholemeal Spelt (or plain flour)
75g Olive oil not Extra Virgin (or butter)
3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
1 egg yolk

Sift the flour into a food processor (it's easier into a bowl and then the processor) with the oil, Parmesan, egg yolk and 3-4 tablespoons of cold water.  Mix till it forms a firm dough.  If a little too dry add water spoon by spoon.  This is a crumbly dough, so don't worry.

Roll out the pastry thinly on a lightly floured surface and place in a 20cm flan tin.  Cover and chill for about 20 minutes.  Prick the base lightly before baking blind at 200c for about 15 minutes or until crisp and golden brown.

defrosted Spinach (I used three cubes of chopped and frozen from the supermarket!)
Broccoli
Olive oil
1 bunch spring onions trimmed and chopped
3 large eggs plus the left-over white
150ml single cream (I suppose you could use Crème fraiche, but I haven't tried it)
1 tablespoon of tomato puree
pepper
25g grated cheese of your choice, maybe cheddar or Gruyere

Heat the oil in a small saucepan and add the spring onions, cook gently for 5-7 minutes.  Do not allow the onions to brown. 

Meanwhile, cut the broccoli into small florets, wash and microwave in a covered dish for 3 minutes.  They need to have a bit of bite to them.

Beat the eggs, cream, puree and pepper.  Mix in the broccoli and spinach and pour into the pastry case.  Sprinkle with cheese and bake in a preheated oven 150c for 30-35 minutes.

Have with veggie or a lush salad.  Enjoy.

PS  I don't add salt, but please do if you prefer.
PPS

London in the Rain!

My daughter's gone to Legoland to celebrate her 7th birthday with her Godmother.  And I've taken the opportunity to see an exhibition at the Tate Modern - Exposed: Voyeurism, Surveillance and the Camera (not suitable for children) and walk along the river in the rain.  Almost nobody about, a rare occurrence in London, and most enjoyable too.  A couple of beach combers and a few mothers with water-proofed children, but everyone else inside.  Yippee for rain!

Centre and Right-hand-side of the garden

Today's a day for computer manipulation, ie, cold and wet.  Enjoy the garden from the comfort of an easy chair. 

Shark Fin Garden

A peak at the left hand side of the garden!  Just the best time of year, for growth and flowers.

Leaves and Stamen

What could I possibly add to the most wonderful, tranquil gardens in London: Kew.  A haven for the Parakeets, the old and the very young.  Super for taking close-ups, but really would recommend a tripod to eliminate the shake of the camera.

The Lovely Kew Gardens

On a visit to Kew Gardens on Saturday in good spring weather, we walked to the quieter areas to the far left of the park, where a variety of pines grow.  Some of the bark was so beautiful, that I had to capture the silvery sheen and wonderful textures.

And of course, the underside of a ... (large leafed plant that great for standing under in rain)!

Sunday Smoothie

I can't be the only person out there, who has all the greatest of intentions when buying fresh fruit and vegetables.  I seem to wait till they're on the turn before doing something with them!

My daughter hates bananas.  It was a case of one too many.  Now I slip those frozen chopped up over ripe bananas into smoothies.  They do a great job of cooling down the fruit.  Today, it was a pineapple that was so over ripe that I had to put it in the fridge to keep the mould at bay, a bargain bucket punnet of strawberries and a glug of goat's milk.  No sugar needed.  Usually I use yogurt, but I was too lazy to get a spoon out, and pouring seemed so much easier.

Put into glasses and eat (too thick to drink).  A whole blender full was demolished, and a waddle to the park was all that was manageable.