Farmhouse Kitchen Recipe: Swiss Chard, Sausage & Ricotta Quiche

SWISS CHARD, SAUSAGE, & RICOTTA QUICHE

Yield:  One 9” deep-dish or 10” tart (about 8 servings)

INGREDIENTS:

Single-crust prepared pie dough (see next page for recipe & method)

4 sweet Italian sausage

3 Tbl. extra-virgin olive oil

1 large bunch Swiss Chard, washed, stemmed, and leaves coarsely chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

Kosher salt, cracked black pepper, to taste

8 large eggs

1/3 c. whole milk

1/3 c. heavy cream

1 c. ricotta cheese

Preheat the oven (375 for deep dish, 400 for shallow tart pan) and prepare the pie dough, wrapping and freezing half for another time.  Roll the pastry on a lightly floured surface large enough to thinly line the pan with dough, gently pressing it to fit inside and fluting the edge if desired.

Place the sausage on a baking pan and roast in the oven for 25-30 minutes, shaking pan occasionally, until the sausage brown and are fully cooked. Remove from the oven, cool, and cut into ¼” thick slices.   Preheat a large pan over high heat and add the olive oil, Swiss chard, and garlic.  Season well with salt and pepper and cook quickly while tossing until it has wilted down, approx. 2 minutes.  Remove from the heat, cool, and squeeze any liquid from the chard.

Assemble the quiche by spooning half of the ricotta cheese in large dollops over the bottom of the pastry shell.  Top with two-thirds of the sausage slices followed by all the drained chard.  Sprinkle over the remaining sausage pieces and top with the rest of the ricotta and place the quiche on a baking sheet.

Whisk the eggs in a large bowl until very light and airy.   Add the milk, cream, and salt and pepper to taste, whisking well, and pour this mixture slowly over the filling, gently pressing ingredients to fully submerge.  Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the center is set and golden brown (for deep pie pans allow 5-10 minutes longer).  Remove from the oven and serve hot or warm.

Variations:  This quiche can be made with any types of meats, cheeses, or vegetables! Veggies (except chopped broccoli & tomatoes) and all meats need to be fully cooked before assembling the quiche. 

BASIC PIE CRUST

Yield:  One double-crust 9-10” deep dish pie

INGREDIENTS:

2 ½ c. all-purpose flour, plus extra for the work surface

2 Tbl. sugar

1 tsp. salt

1 c. (2 sticks) cold, unsalted butter, cut into cubes (can substitute 50% vegetable shortening if desired)

¾ – 1 c. cold water, or more as needed

Combine the flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl and blend.  Using a pastry cutter or your fingers, ‘cut’ in the butter (or shortening) and blend until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Slowly add the water, adding just enough until the mixture comes together into a nice dough.  Gather the dough into a ball, wrap in plastic and chill at least 1 hour or overnight.

Balls of pie dough can be wrapped in plastic and frozen for up to 2 months.  Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.

Tip:  This dough can also be prepared in a food processor.  Just use the pulse button to blend gently and not overwork the dough!

http://shop.carolynsfarmkitchen.com

MORE recipes on Carolyn’s facebook page!!!

http://facebook.com/carolynsfarmkitchen