HAM AND SWISS QUICHE

RECIPES THAT BRING OUT THE BEST IN YOU AND THAT GIVE YOU THE FEELING YOU'RE ON TO SOMETHING BIG.

The word 'quiche', in case you're interested, comes from the German word kuchen meaning cake. It kind of evolved into quiche when the French became involved and changed it to a pie and added cheese to it. The most ideal kind of cheese to use is Gruyere which, as you know, is fairly pricey even at the best of times which is why Swiss cheese is used in this recipe which is also getting more and more expensive. Anyway, you decide what kind of cheese you want to use but the flavor of the quiche is definitely influenced by the cheese that is in there. Quiche is so easy to make: the only problem is that it does take a long time to bake so you need to plan ahead and allow for the baking time. Quiche can also be frozen before baking if you want to make a few to have on hand and then bake them so they will be hot when you serve them. I don't recommend freezing an already-baked quiche. It just doesn't seem to work all that well. I first ate quiche in France and was surprised that it was for sale in just about every bakery. They also sold them in small personal sizes which I thought was very considerate of them. You seldom ever see that here in the US. As I recall, the quiche in France was very simple without all the added vegetables and such, but that just makes it all the more fun to make which is why they are included here. Anyway, here is the Ham and Swiss quiche plus a few extra added things just as a bonus:

1. You start with an unbaked pie shell. You can use one that is pre-made and purchased from the store or make your own, whichever you have time for. The pre-made ones seem to work just fine for the quiche. You don't need to grease or spray the pie dish. It will come out just fine without it.

2. Next you add grated Swiss cheese, about 1 1/2 cups.

3. After that comes the chopped ham. I used about 3/4 C. here, but you can adjust the amount according to your own taste. Also, if you prefer, you can use sausage or bacon or combine all three. Ham is just easier and quicker.

4. Next comes the green onions. I used a lot, about 3/4 C. here. The onion taste adds so much to the flavor.

5. To this I added a small amount of red pepper, about 1/2 C.

6. I love mushrooms, so I added a small can of sliced mushrooms. You can use fresh, of course, and either one works just fine.

7. Next comes the eggs. I used 6 eggs, beaten with 1/2 C. heavy cream (you can use 1/2 and 1/2 or even milk if you prefer.) Add to this 1 tsp. dry mustard and 1 tsp. seasoning salt. If you decide to freeze it, this is where you would do that. Just pour on the egg mixture, put some plastic wrap and aluminum foil over it and put it in the freezer until you're ready to use it. If you don't freeze it, then slice a medium tomato on top of the quiche and then pour the egg mixture over it all.

8. Bake it in a 375 degree oven for approximately 45-50 minutes or until the center is set and the crust is golden brown. Serves 4-6. Enjoy!