CRICKET SUMMER HARVEST QUINICHE (quinoa + quiche)

This is the holiday photo that I love – it’s the evening of my Godfathers 80th birthday at Rottnest just 1 (probably 2 weeks by now!)  week ago.  It is filled with people I love – my beautiful daughter Nessie, my gorgeous cousin Fran and her children – Josh, Zac and Charli – Jane (they of the Wholefood for Children dedication). We all got time to spend together (Fran and children live in Melbourne) and I got to see extended family that I haven’t seen for years.  You can see the Rottnest homes are very simple   – but what does one really need anyway? The picture reminds me of how I came to feel whilst there –  I slowed down and did indeed knit soul and mind together. If I was a wool scarf,  I would be truly coloured with deep and vibrant hues (no washing out) and no dropped stitches or odd bits – I think the scarf could be called beautiful.  I feel calm and strong. I feel clear, whole and vital. 

And I did read Joel Salatins’ new book “Folks, This Ain’t Normal – A Farmers Advice for Happier Hens, Healthier People and a Better World” – in a word, loved it. Get it. My favourite bit….

” Long after the final i-gadget has been discovered, we’ll still yearn for hugs, kisses and personal conversation. When we’ve travelled to the last exotic place and finished participating in the last recreational or entertainment venue on our list, we will want a haven and we will call it home”. 

And with apologies to Joel (not meaning to plagiarise him) I would say this…

Long after we’ve achieved everything we have on our list, long after we’ve tried to do it all and skipped meals, grabbed a snack on the run or eaten the latest, fastest, 30 minute or 4 ingredients only meal, or thrown a frozen meal in the microwave, we will still do best – and indeed thrive – with whole and real food, and we will still yearn to slow down, to come home to the welcome smell of food cooking, and to sit with people that matter and talk, share and eat. 

The food we eat, the way we eat it and the pace of most lives today are just not normal. Certainly, yes people have worked very, very hard over the centuries and years, but they also understood the need for food as fuel, how food connects you to the earth (and the heavens I would add), when to stop and how important real, good and whole food is. They stopped and ate – and most often in some sort of community. This ‘normal’ that we see now? The prevailing view that skipping meals is fine, eating carbohydrate, sugar and caffeine drinks all day is fine? That good and true fats are evil? That’s not normal and good food should come before the heading out of the home for the job, or sending the child of to school, and a piece of bread with jam is not breakfast. I know this has always been at the very core of my work, but Joel triggered for me a slightly different way of seeing it – the un – normalness of it all (if that indeed is a word).

This year? This year I’m going to focus on what’s normal, and that’s cooking real food and making time to eat it. To help you get back into the kitchen given everything that is going on –  I know realistically that there are time constraints – indeed one of the most often requests I get is similar to this ” how to survive the busy days”. This is the work at hand. 

I’ve gone on above because at Rottnest I began to feel normal  again – but I suspect that when soul and mind are together, things feel right – normal. I’m going to hang on to that thought and feeling. I suspect the trick lies somewhere in stopping long enough to slow down just a little, and ensure that you have that space each day… and good food to fuel you each day. It’s a true thing that when the body has the appropriate fuel, life, work, stress and everything is so much easier. It’s funny how when a feeling surfaces, others pick it up too – you might also love reading Shauna James Aherns‘ blog on Going Quiet – there’s a lot of wisdom there. 

So 2012, life –  I’m ready to dive in…. 

So, to the food.

Because it was a special occasion, I wanted to make dessert – trifle is perfect for this and it’s a favourite, but it also reminds me of my Aunt Biddy (my godfathers mother and my aunt) who (as a single mother – her husband died after the war –  and full time teacher) always presented the most fabulous table and trifle, at family gatherings in her home. She always found the time. It was my way of feeling she was there. The day before I made a proper berry jelly – I’m fussy about the gelatine I use and prefer the Bernard Jensen – it’s made from healthy cows – I wouldn’t touch anything else. You can get it here. I also added a slosh of the French Liqueur Chambord – traditionally made from red and black raspberries, oh my, it’s so good – I also used it liberally on the sponge. Next step, I made a classic pastry cream (with lots of vanilla seed) and folded whipped cream into it. I layered it with a gluten free genoise I had made, the fruits Zac and Nessie had seeded, good sloshes of Chambord, jelly cubes and topped with the pastry cream and sprinkled with toasted almonds. No one complained.

Back on the mainland, home and to the recipe for this blog. I needed something for a very hot summer evening, portable for the cricket. I had zucchini, rainbow chard, onion and basil in the garden. Eggs in the fridge and some cooked quinoa.

It was quick and simple (fits the time issue perfectly) – having said this I did have some quinoa already cooked in the fridge – but that is the other thing – make extra – because it’s only going to save you the next day. That’s not the best example in the photo above – I overcooked it – the eggs cook quickly –  too long and it can be a bit dense, but it was still delicious. Extra delicious with a tomato relish. Lots of vegetables, egg and quinoa giving it a bit more nutrient density. It’s not a huge recipe , so you may want to double it (3 of us woofed most of it down with salad).

CRICKET SUMMER HARVEST QUINICHE 

Gluten Free

This sliced brilliantly, and was sturdy enough for me to grab a bit the next morning to eat in my hands whilst I watered the garden (= great for lunchboxes). 

I used medium sized chard leaves – you may need more if they are very young. Include some of the stem, but not too much. Err on the side of using your fingers to feel that it is just cooked through, and if you need to put it under the grill (broiler) to brown the cheese.

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil + extra for brushing on baking dish

small knob of butter

1 medium onion – finely chopped (mine was red, but anything will do)

3 – 4 medium leaves of silverbeet or rainbow chard – washed and sliced, stems chopped

2 cloves garlic – finely chopped

2 zucchini /200gm grated

sea salt and fresh pepper to taste

big handful fresh basil, roughly sliced

100 – 200 gm fetta, crumbled

1 cup cooked quinoa

3 eggs

Grated cheese to top – I used a cheddar and some parmesan

Gently heat the olive oil and butter in a medium frypan. Add the onion and chard stems, cook for 5 minutes or so over a medium heat, or the onions are becoming translucent, stirring from time to time. Add the chard leaves, garlic, zucchini and a good pinch of sea salt –  cook over a medium  heat for 10 minutes, stirring every now and then or until the zucchini and chard have released all of their waters. Then increase the heat and cook until the water has evaporated off and you can give them just a little fry to develop the flavour. Add the basil and stir through. Because I couldn’t be bothered to wash the pan I set this aside to cool, and added the rest of the ingredients to the frypan. But if you need it sooner, you’ll need to turn the mix into a bowl – the pan will be too hot and cook the eggs. Leave until the vegetable mix has cooled a little and add the fetta, quinoa, eggs and season to taste with extra salt if needed and the pepper.

Lightly oil a 20cm dish (I used a china one) now – don’t do it too early or the oil will slide down the dish. Add the mix, spread evenly and top with the grated cheese and parmesan.

Bake in a moderate oven (180c – from 150 – 165c in a fan forced oven) for 10 – 15 minutes or until the egg is set. If the cheese is not golden enough, pop it under the grill.

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