Mushroom Quiche and Lentil Salad

This was homemade crust number deux, and with this one I figured a few key things out.
1. The dry mixer attachment for the Vita Mix cuts the butter into a dough fabulously.
2. Baking the crust an additional 5 minutes to melt a layer of cheese on the bottom after the blind bake, and before adding the rest of the filling, keeps everything crispy and distinct.

So the crust recipe here is from an online source that credits Mollie Katzen's Sunlight Cafe cookbook.

1 1/2 c unbleached, all purpose flour
1/4 t salt
1/2 c (1 stick) cold unsalted butter
Up to 3 T cold water (or milk or buttermilk)

Place flour and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Cut the butter into slices, add to the processor, and buzz several times, until the mixture is uniform and resembles coarse meal. (You can do this with 2 forks like I did the last time, but it's painfully laborious!)

Continue to process in quicks spurts as you add the water, 1 T at a time. As soon as the dough adhere to itself when pinched, stop adding water and turn the dough out on a floured surface. Gather it gently into a ball.

Roll the dough into a circle 11 inches or so in diameter. Lift the dough and ease it into a 9-inch pie pan or a 10-inch springform tart pan, nudging it gently in the corners. Form a generous, even edge all the way around the sides.

Use a fork to poke a bunch of holes in the bottom layer of the crust. Cut a piece of parchment paper the size and shape of the pan and set over the crust. Add a cup of dried beans or whatever you use as you pie weights to prevent the crust from rising too much during the blind bake. Blind bake at 400 for 12 minutes.

I had munster cheese on hand, but swiss or gruyere are excellent matches here too. With the munster I sliced enough to cover the bottom of the crust, 3/4 c. (Remove the pie weights/beans and parchment, of course!) Lower the oven temp to 375 and bake for 5 minutes, or until the cheese is just melted.

For the filling I sauteed 4 very large cremini mushrooms in 1 T evoo and 1 minced shallot. Once the shallot and mushroom mixture is fragrant and the mushrooms have darkened and cooked through, add mixture to quiche pan.

In a separate bowl whisk 4-5 eggs and 1/2 c Silk unsweetened soy milk (or regular milk, or go nuts and use cream!) add to quiche pan. This should just about fill up the crust. Bake for 35-40 minutes at 375, or until a knife in the center comes out clean.

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Lentil Salad

This is actually a Greek recipe taken from a cookbook on Greek cuisine, but it paired well with the quiche, and even better with an Origin Viognier. It was good cold and by itself or with baby salad greens and a splash of evoo and balsamic vin, or slightly warmed and by itself.

1 c lentils, French green worked well, soaked for about 3 hours in cold water
1 small red onion, chopped
1 bay leaf (I bumped it up to 2)
4 T evoo
3-4 T of chopped, fresh flat leaf parsley
2 T chopped fresh oregano or marjoram (I used dried oregano)
9 oz. cherry tomatoes, halved
9 oz. feta, crumbled
salt and pepper
3 T lightly toasted pine nuts

Drain lentils and place them in a large pan. Pour in plenty of cold water and add bay leaves and onion. Bring to a boil and boil hard for 10 minutes, then lower heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

Drain the lentils, discard the bay leaves and tip them into a bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste. Toss with the olive oil. Set aside to cool, the mix with the parsley, oregano, tomatoes, pine nuts and feta.