In the middle of the summer, my garden takes off. In the beginning, I'm so excited about the ripening tomatoes, the growing masses of spinach and collard greens, and the zucchini that finally become large enough to harvest. Within a week, I'm swimming in vegetables and I start to panic: what am I going to do with all of this bounty? The recipe below is a great way to use vegetables.
Whether you have a garden, are a member of a CSA, or are a vegetable lover, this recipe transforms any bounty of vegetables into a delicious meal. The spinach and mushroom combo is my favorite, but you can substitute any vegetables that you have on hand. And remember, quiche doesn't have to be served for breakfast: serve this with a side salad of cucumbers and tomatoes and enjoy for lunch or dinner.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch pie pan and set aside.
In a large saute pan, cook the bacon lardons over medium-high heat. Once they are cooked through and slightly crispy, remove them from the pan and set aside. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the grease in the pan and discard the excess.
Add the onion to the bacon grease and cook until it is translucent, about 5 minutes
Add the mushrooms and cook until they have softened, about 5 minutes.
Add the spinach and cook until the moisture has evaporated, about 5 minutes.
Remove the spinach mixture from the heat and fold in the cooked bacon. Set the mixture aside to cool slightly.
In a large bowl, beat the eggs until they are well mixed and slightly frothy. Add the cheese, salt, and pepper and whisk to combine.
Add the cooled spinach mixture to the egg bowl and stir well.
Pour the egg mixture into the prepared pie pan. Bake for 40-45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
