what to cook

Sigh. Danielle's invited himself over... so I'd better cook something. Because, like Mwa, I've  lost my cooking mojo of late, I'll have to do a standby, of my mother's, and make her beautiful quiche. Because who doesn't like a little bit of French in them, eh? ;)

She used to make mushroom quiche, and leek quiche, and tomato quiche, among others. But I'm not such a hostess, and I  started making mushroom leek quiche, and it is gorgeous. I'm reluctant to share it, but I suppose it's just the same as any good quiche recipe. But if you make it, please raise a glass to my mother, Diane.

Ingredients

shortcrust pastry

1lb sliced mushrooms
2 tablespoons chopped scallions
1 tsp salt
1 tsp lemon juice
3 eggs
1/2 pint cream (yep. It's not low fat)
pinch nutmeg
1/8 tsp black pepper
2 tablespoons sherry

Preheat oven to Gas mark 5/375/190

Briefly cook the scallions in a heavy bottomed pan with the butter.
Stir in the thinly sliced mushrooms,salt, lemon juice andwine.
Cover pan and cook on low heat for 8 mins.
Beat the eggs and combine with the cream and seasonings.
Raise heat and boil for several mins til the liquid evaporates.
Put face over pan and breathe deep of the heavenly aroma and thank Jo for sharing.
Gradually add the cooled mushrooms to the liquid and stir.
Pour into the pastry shell (hmm, a little blind baking might not go astray) and you can sprinkle some cheese on top, but I've taken to using little chunks of cream cheese here and there.
The original recipe suggests you dot an ounce of butter in pea sized bits over the top, but really, that's just taking it too far.

Update: oops, I forgot the leeks. I just... put some in. Slice and saute a bit just before the mushrooms, I suppose.

Bake for 20-25 mins and serve warm (not hot!) or at room temperature.

I love the way the layers of thin mushrooms have just the right bite, and leeks always make everything better.

I usually do this for summer garden type parties, with green salad (avocado!), potato salad, maybe tabouli, guacamole and tortilla chips and veg...nice white wine, and if we're lucky, sunshine. Ahhhhh.