Last fall I took a trip to the South of France and completely fell in love with Provence. The views are breathtaking. The wines are phenomenal. The cuisine is undeniably delicious. The lifestyle is seemingly laid back and easy going. Provence is a little slice of heaven on earth. I fell so in love with this part of the world that I still find myself daydreaming about my time there two seasons later. With winter turning to spring right around Easter, I wanted to come up with a special dish to serve for Easter brunch. Thus, my spring quiche was born with Provence on my mind all the while!
As a cook, the outdoor markets were probably my favorite aspect of visiting Provence. Besides being adjacent to some of my favorite wine regions in the world, of course!
Now, if you’re thinking your local farmer’s market is top notch, trust me, your farmer’s market ain’t go $h*t on the markets in Provence. The produce in France is INSANELY fresh! Fruits and vegetables are not oversized and are not all the same uniform shape. Rather, you can see with your naked eye they are naturally grown, vibrant with color, and bursting with flavor. There are 80 different types of olives, countless handmade mustards and tapenades, and plump freshly sun-dried tomatoes. Not to mention an array of cheese wheels and wedges, charcuterie, and fresh baked goods. What’s more, the vendors are happy to let you taste anything! I will never forget the sweet tang of those sun-dried tomatoes or the luxuriousness of honeyed figs.
While in Provence, I most definitely had a quiche or two. Quiche is a very French dish in my mind and is a dish I will always order if it’s on the menu for brunch. I actually had one of my most memorable quiches at The Girl & The Fig in Sonoma, California, a Rhône inspired restaurant bringing a part of France to California wine country. That quiche was incroyable! Fluffy and extravagant…I’m guessing there were whipped egg whites involved in the making of The Girl & The Fig’s quiche. Almost soufflé like. I will be experimenting with this theory next time I make my spring quiche recipe!
So Easter was approaching and I was planning to have brunch with my mom. When I think brunch, I think quiche! And now when I think quiche, I think Provence. The produce I selected for the spring quiche was inspired by the markets in Provence. For the tomato concasse, I decided to roast the tomatoes rather than boil them to emulate the powerful flavor of the fresh sun-dried tomatoes I tasted at the market. I also utilized chives and asparagus to bring on the fresh green flavors of spring.
For the crust of my spring quiche, I relied on this stellar recipe from Epicurious. Definitely keeping this one in my back pocket because the crust turned out amazing!! Crispy, flaky, buttery, delicious! I also pre-baked the crust, then brushed the crust with egg wash and sprinkled it with parmesan followed by a 2-3 minute bake to create a seal on the crust. That way it didn’t get soggy when the quiche mixture was poured in. Boom! Totally worked. More info on pre-baking your crust can be found here.
I hope you enjoy this spring quiche as much as I do. Honestly, I was transported to the cobble stone streets of Provence with every bite I took! Pair this spring quiche with a dry, crisp Provençal rosé or a glass of bubbles. It’s brunch after all! If you whip up this recipe, snap a photo of your quiche and tag me on Instagram (@palm.and.vine). Or leave me a comment below and let me know how it goes. xoxo
Bursting with flavor from fresh garden herbs and oven roasted tomatoes, this quiche is perfect for brunch to kick off Spring! Use any herbs or additional vegetables your heart desires. Basil or tarragon would work well here too.
This recipe is perfect for a 9-inch tart. If you have a larger pie dish, then use additional eggs and heavy cream as needed to ensure your quiche doesn't turn out too shallow.
I included links to my favorite pie crust recipe and instructions on pre-baking pie crust in the blog post above.
- 1 1/12 tbsp minced chives. substitute other fresh herbs as desired
- 1 bunch green onions
- 3/4 cup asparagus
- 1 1/12 cups tomato concassé of oven roasted tomatoes
- 3/4 cup Gruyere cheese, grated
- 1 1/12 cups heavy cream
- 3 eggs
- 1 tbsp butter
- salt, pepper, ground cayenne pepper to taste
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Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
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First wash your tomatoes and get them roasting in the oven for the tomato concassé. I used 6 small campari tomatoes on the vine to yield 1 1/2 cups of tomato concassé. Feel free to use any type of tomato you prefer. Spray or rub the tomatoes with olive oil, then place them on a sheet pan in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for up to 20 minutes. Tomato skins should crack open. Once the tomatoes are finished roasting, place them in a bowl of ice water for 1-2 minutes.
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While the tomatoes are roasting, prep the vegetables for the quiche. Mince 1 1/2 tbsp chives. Cut asparagus into 1 inch pieces. If the asparagus are thick, consider slicing them in half lengthwise first. Skin the outer layer of the green onion and chop whites along with part of the greens of the onions. Also grate the Gruyere cheese at this time.
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Place asparagus in a pan and add just enough water to cover. Put a lid on the pan and bring to a simmer for 2-3 minutes or until asparagus is just tender. Add asparagus pieces to a bowl of ice water to stop cooking and then remove from the water utilizing a strainer. (You could also wait to strain the asparagus from the ice bath until adding the oven roasted tomatoes in the next step).
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Once the tomatoes are finished roasting, place them in a bowl of ice water for 1-2 minutes. Then, cut lengthwise and squeeze the seeds out of each tomato. Peel off the tomato skins. Dice or julienne the tomato flesh.
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Sauté the green onions in1 tbsp butter until translucent. Add the tomato concassé and sauté until the liquid has evaporated from the tomatoes. Season with salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, along with any other seasonings you may desire.
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Whisk together the eggs and heavy cream. Stir in the herbs and grated Gruyere cheese. Season with salt and pepper.
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Spoon the tomato/vegetable filling mixture into the pre-baked crust. (Note: when pre-baking crust, be sure to brush the bottom of the crust with egg wash and return to the oven to bake for 3 minutes. This will help prevent a soggy crust.) Spread the mixture around to distribute evenly. Slowly pour the custard mixture into the crust, stirring again to distribute the ingredients evenly.
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Place the quiche dish onto a baking pan and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 40 to 45 minutes until a blade inserted into the center of the quiche comes out clean.
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Quiche can be served hot or at room temperature.
