Recipe and styling by Nomvuselelo Mncube
Photograph by Dylan Swart
Roasted veggie deep quiche
Ingredients
SHORTCRUST PASTRY
- 450g cake flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 200g cold butter, diced
- 125ml (½ cup) cold water
FILLING
- 2 red onions, peeled and cut into wedges
- 500g butternut, cubed
- 1 each red and yellow peppers, cubed
- 250g small portabellini mushrooms, cleaned
- 170g asparagus, trimmed
- 3 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves picked and chopped + extra sprigs, to garnish
- ½ tbsp dried mixed herbs
- sunflower oil, to drizzle
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 250ml (1 cup) whipping cream
- 250ml (1 cup) milk
- 4 extra-large eggs
- 40g Parmesan/Grana Padano, finely grated
Instructions
For the shortcrust pastry, sift the flour and salt into a large bowl. Add the diced butter and rub in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Pour in the cold water and mix to a firm dough. Knead until smooth, wrap in cling film and refrigerate for 15 – 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Lightly grease the base and sides of a 24cm-round, 5cm-deep springform tart tin. Press the dough into the base and sides of the tin. Line the pastry with baking paper and fill with dry beans or uncooked rice. Place on a large oven tray and blind-bake for 15 minutes. Remove the paper and beans or rice, and return the pastry case to the oven until lightly golden, a further 5 – 10 minutes.
For the filling, while the pastry is baking, arrange the vegetables in a large baking tray. Mix in the herbs, drizzle with oil and season to taste. Bake until slightly soft, 20 minutes.
Transfer the vegetables to the pastry case. Set aside. Place the cream, milk, eggs and Parmesan/ Grana Padano in a large jug and whisk to combine. Season to taste. Carefully pour the mixture over the vegetables. Bake the quiche until golden and set, 45 – 50 minutes. Cover the top with foil if it starts to burn. Remove from oven and allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes. Remove from tin, garnish with the extra rosemary sprigs and serve warm.