Traditions in Excess

New Year's Day dawned cold and gray, but the warmth from the previous night still enveloped the house. As usual, I was the first one out of bed, affording me a chance to quietly get the kitchen back in some kind of working order. The coffee was hot and strong, and the oven pre-heated by the time any other soul stirred.

Egg dishes have become something of an unintended ritual after these winter gatherings. They can be prepared ahead of time, or can be used as a leftover delivery system the morning after. This year I gratefully accepted Jean-9's offer of a quiche which she made at home and brought to the party the night before. Mine wasn't the only appreciative comment by the time the dish came out of the oven.

Herbed Potato Quiche - a recipe by Jean-9

1 store-bought pie crust 6-8 small red potatoes Minced herbs, parsley, thyme, rosemary (whatever is on hand) 4 eggs 1 cup milk 1 cup Swiss cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 375° F. In a 9" pie dish, arrange the pie crust with a crimped edge. Use a fork to poke holes in the bottom of the crust. Partially bake the pie crust 8-10 minutes, until slightly golden. Let cool while assembling the wet ingredients.

Wash potatoes and cut into ¼-inch dice. Place in a microwave-safe bowl and cover with a damp kitchen towel. Microwave for 1 minute, or just until the potatoes are tender, but not falling apart. Sprinkle with herbs, salt and pepper. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs with a fork until broken, but not fully scrambled. Add milk and continue to whisk until well combined. Add more herbs, salt and pepper.

Layer bottom of the pie crust with Swiss cheese. Add potatoes in a single layer. Sprinkle more cheese on top of the potatoes. Pour egg and milk mixture over the potatoes and cheese. Garnish with whole parsley leaves or sprigs of rosemary.

Bake at 375° for 30-45 minutes, until the quiche sets up and turns golden in color. As it cools the quiche will settle a bit.

That girl Jean-9 can cook. We've sworn to take some cooking classes together, and she's having very little trouble convincing me that we could make a successful go of a little cafe or catering business out here on the Island. We already have a built in clientele in our fellow revelers. If they tell two friends, and they tell two friends, well then, that's a business model, right?

What a time. What a group.

Until next year - Blog O. Food