Real Women Make Quiche

We had all been eating pretty high on the hog since Naomi and Sam arrived. They wanted to thank us for our hospitality by cooking lavishly for us (and doing dishes, by the way) and we wanted to show them the bounty of their new home. The result was that all four of us lovebirds needed a lighter meal for a change.

Naomi headed into the kitchen - she no longer needs direction about where to find things - and got busy. The result was a good, fresh salad and a savory quiche of tomatoes, anchovies, onions and black olives, dusted with Parmesan and lovingly encased in a tender crust.

Now, lest you be thinking, "Eww, anchovies!" let me assure you that there was no fishy taste in this quiche. The anchovies deepened all the other flavors without making their presence strongly felt. They were rather like the salt in a dish, enhancing the flavor of the other ingredients in a subtle way. All my tongue registered was "Tender! Delicious! Tomato! Quiche!"

Now that Naomi and Sam have found an apartment and a job for him, they will be leaving us. I will miss Sam's little hum of approval - he gives it when he tastes something he likes, and when he hugs. I will miss Naomi's gentle ways and sweet smile coupled with her wizard brain and trenchant observations. I'll miss having their laughter in the house and their clever conversation. Cora will miss the extra snacks and attention. It has been a fun couple of weeks that went by fast. Happily, they won't be living very far away so we'll see them from time to time.

Naomi's Tomato and Anchovy Quiche, adapted from Julia Child's recipe in Mastering the Art of French Cooking

Pastry:

3/4 stick butter

8 heaped Tablespoons flour (Naomi uses the large table spoon, not a measuring spoon - this works out to about 1.5 cups flour)

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 egg, beaten

Cold water, if necessary

Filling:

1 onion, chopped

2-3 cloves garlic, pressed or minced

5 medium flavorful tomatoes

1 egg

2 egg yolks

2 Tablespoons tomato paste

1 can anchovies, chopped into small pieces

1/3 cup half-and-half cream

pinch cayenne pepper

black pepper to taste

Topping:

1/4 Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup black olives, halved (approximate)

Mix butter, flour and parmesan until crumbly, then add egg and m ix into a ball (add more flour or some water if necessary). Cool in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Chop onion and tomato, mince garlic. Heat some olive oil in a medium pan and add onion. When onion has softened, add tomato and garlic and cook, uncovered, at low-medium heat for five minutes. Then add tomato paste, stir and cook for another 20 minutes.

Set oven to 400 degrees F. Roll out dough on floured board and line pie dish. Prick all over with a fork and put in oven. Blind bake for about 20 minutes, until just beginning to brown. Remove the pie dish and decrease oven temperature to 350 degrees F when done.

Beat together 1 egg, 2 egg yolks, half & half, anchovies, Parmesan, cayenne and pepper in a medium bowl or large measuring cup. Add onion and tomato mixture and stir.

Pour mixture into pie base. Arrange olive halves on top and sprinkle with more grated Parmesan. Bake in 350 degree F oven for about 30 minutes, until firm and browning.