Quiche of the week: cucumber - goat cheese

Please excuse me for the long absence! A certain writing project got in the way of this blog, but I promise to post more regularly this summer. Since my last post, summer has definitely arrived here on the Cote d'Azur, and it's easy to reflect the seasonal changes in my cooking. Gone are the endives and leeks, meat stews and cream sauces of winter. Now, all we're craving is fraîcheur - fresh fruits and vegetables, salads, and anything cool.

Luckily, I've even found a way to summer-ize the classic quiche, meaning that you don't have to put your quiche pans away for summer. By serving the quiche cold and topping it with marinated cucumber, you can be sure to please your guests on even the hottest summer days.

Marinated Cucumber - Goat cheese quiche

Serves 6-8

-1 pie crust

-6 1/2 grams goat cheese

-3/4 cup unsweetened condensed milk

-1 clove garlic, minced

-3 eggs

-1/2 cucumber

-1/2 white onion

-1 Tbsp. olive oil

-fresh dill

-1 lime

-1 tsp. raw sugar

-1/2 cup water

-salt, pepper

1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Peel the cucumber and scrape out the seeds. Cut it into thin strips, approximately 2.5 inches long. In a large bowl, mix the olive oil, the juice of the lime, the dill and the garlic. Season with salt and pepper, then add the cucumber and stir to coat. Cover and place in the refrigerator.
3. Mince the onion. Sautée it in a frying pan with the water and the sugar until the water is completely evaporated and the onion has caramelized.
4. Mix the condensed milk with half of the goat cheese and the eggs, then add the caramelized onion. Cut the remaining goat cheese into small pieces and set aside.
5. Place the crust in a quiche pan and pour in the egg - condensed milk mixture. Sprinkle the remaining goat cheese on top and bake it in the oven for approximately 20 minutes. Allow to cool at room temperature.
6. Just before serving, drain the cucumber strips and arrange them in circles on top of your quiche.

This is a visually impressive quiche that tastes just as good as it looks. Would work well as a light lunch with a tomato salad on the side, or cut into small squares as finger food at a cocktail party or barbecue. Bon appetit!