Mushroom Mustard Quiche

Mushrooms are expensive, and very perishable, which means that the ones that no one buys on the weekends go to half price at Kroger on Monday.

I bought a large container of Baby Bellas. Sauteed till soft in butter and chicken broth, they became the main ingredient in this quiche.

The ingredients are:


6 eggs

1 pie crust. I used store bought- standard 9 inch

2 cups grated cheese. (I used Jarlsberg).

Salt to taste

1/4 cup heavy cream

1 stick unsalted butter.

1/4 cup chicken broth

2 cups sauteed sliced mushrooms

2 tablespoons of Dijon mustard

4-5 slices of a ripe tomato-optional, but pretty and tasty.

2 slices of crisp bacon,cut into small pieces. Add more if you like.


First I pricked the pie crust all over with a fork, then placed foil over it, then weighted the foil down with lentils, though beans would do. I baked the crust in a pre-heated oven for 12 minutes at 425 degrees. Then I took it from the oven, carefully removed the foil and lentils and added the filling. I baked the quiche for 45 minutes at 350 degrees.

To make the filling I sauteed the mushrooms in 1 stick of butter with 1/4 chicken broth added. I sauteed over medium heat until the mushrooms were soft and the broth and mushroom juice were reduced and no longer watery. I added sea salt to taste.

In a large bowl I mixed the grated cheese, the eggs, the cream, and two tablespoons of mustard along with the bacon bits. Then I added the mushrooms.

I poured the mixture into the pie shell, garnished with the tomatoes, and baked it as described above.

A nice brunch dish-

The Real First Day of Spring-

Yesterday here in Nashville the day was warm, sunny, and silent. Usually by now the redwing blackbirds have started to sing but yesterday walking on the Greenway along the Little Harpeth River I heard not one.

Last night was rainy and 64 degrees, and I expected redwings on today's walk.

Instead I heard the first true voice of spring. Hyla crucifer- the spring peeper, a miniature frog that breeds in damp meadows and swamps. And I found Spring Beauties. the Claytonia virginica, blooming near a stone culvert on the park road through Edwin Warner Park. And a low growing little swamp buttercup as well.

Let us hope this God awful freeze dried winter has received its first eviction notice-

Pirates

Since humans do not hibernate, the only ways to get through a winter as awful as this one, are to read books and to watch TV. The former never fail, but the latter does, especially in January and February when we are anesthetized by dull sports spectacles and awards shows that preempt what few decent programs we depend on.

"Grimm" and "The Blacklist" are buried under ski-jumps for another two weeks, and no other network dares to put on "The Good Wife" or "Revenge" while someone gets bumped out of a bobsled.

I have never watched any premium cable series offered. I know nothing of "Da Vinci's Demons" or "Game of Thrones", but a few weeks back I started watching "Black Sails" on Starz, and I have kept on watching.

"Black Sails" is about a Caribbean island run by pirates, and about one crew who hope to find a sunken Spanish treasure ship.

This would be a great program for children, who have always loved pirates, but Starz has dosed it heavily with four letter words, nudity, and steamy scenes of every possible human combination.

Nevertheless, it is an intriguing saga that becomes more interesting as it progresses,though I have read comments criticizing the show for letting its characters talk. But that is what people used to do,before the Phone and Thumb Age.

These pirates have reasons and motivations and alliances, and these are better explained by conversation than by blowing things up.

This past episode on Saturday veered dangerously towards literacy, when a mysterious woman, fully clothed and in possession of an inner life, read a passage from Marcus Aurelius out loud. Usually,in screen spectacle land the only characters who read classic texts or listen to classical music are homicidal maniacs who want to take over the world.

This does not appear to be the case in "Black Sails",but sadly, knowing my countrymen, I know that intelligence does not sell.( If it did "Pan Am" would still be on).

I expect lots of compensatory demolitions on the next episode-