Pantry Collective

It is so easy to make this rustic, savory tart. The possibilities of what to put in the filling are endless, too. Basically anything you think tastes good together is probably going to taste better when it’s baked in a pie crust! This is a hearty vegetarian version with leeks, potatoes, zucchini, and feta. The recipe utilizes a store-bought piecrust but feel free to make your own. I also used a lovely peppercorn studded feta. You could make this for lunch or dinner, or cut it into small slices and serve it as a hot appetizer at a small party.

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This summer, my friend Shama invited John and me over for quiche. It was quite yummy (although she will do that thing cooks do where they find the one less-than-perfect thing and tell you about that when they describe the dish - I understand, I do it all the time!), and I was inspired to make my own the next weekend. We had it for dinner, but it’s a great brunch dish, too.

I used a random assortment of vegetables. Swiss chard from the CSA, zucchini, onions, mushrooms, and some de-podded edamame (is de-podded the proper term? I have no idea…). I think you can get away with whatever veggies you want in this type of dish, really. I vaguely looked at recipes, but decided quiche couldn’t be all THAT hard and kind of improvised. I did use a store-bought pie crust that I already had in the freezer, so I don’t get any “from-scratch” points here, but hey, it was delicious and easy and that is what matters sometimes.

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This sauce is amazing. Roasted red peppers are so sweet and delicious, and they form a great base for this creamy pasta sauce. The original recipe at Cooking Light looked good, but seemed to lack spices. This is a common problem with “light” recipes, I’ve found - they underestimate spices all the time. The sauce is definitely improved by the addition of garlic, basil, oregano, and salt and pepper. I added a zucchini into the puree; it didn’t contribute anything, flavor-wise, but it bulked up the sauce a little and added another veggie to the dish.

Paired with sweet italian sausage, fresh parmesan cheese, and some fresh basil on top, it was a delicious, hearty pasta dish that managed to feel summery thanks to the bright, sweet tang of the peppers.

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