Happy Human Rights Day all! We’ve been having a long weekend over here in the south of Africa. The weather has been supremely miserable with major downpours and general bleak cloudy-ness. Today was slightly better but not great. As a result, I have barely left the house. I’m not a fan of going out in the wet and this weekend just meant I spent a lot of time on the couch, re-reading Twilight. (Yes, I know!) I also did a little baking. Saturday morning the house was filled with the aroma of cinnamon, reminding me strongly of Easter (for which I am preparing by buying loads of easter eggs in advance.) I always bake cinnamon buns at Easter but my sister requested some this weekend and I was only to happy to oblige.

But I am getting off track. I wanted to tell you all about quiche. Quiche used to be extremely unfashionable. It was the kind of thing you were given when you went for tea at great aunt’s with whiskers and the base was soggy and the filling bland. Not any more. I make this quiche as a standard for most Sunday lunches with friends and they will attest its fabulousness. The key is getting the pastry very thin so that it is crispy and rounding off the decadence with cream in the filling. You cannot go wrong. And your friends will love you.

Sundried Tomato and Feta Quiche
Pastry:
250g plain flour
125g cold butter, in cubes
5ml salt
45ml cold water
In a mixer, mix the flour, butter and salt until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Slowly add in the water and allow the dough to come together before turning it out onto a surface and kneading it smooth. Wrap it in clingfilm and refrigerate for 30 mins.
Preheat the oven to 180C.
Roll the pastry out until its thin enough that the surface is showing through – this should be large enough to line a 22cm tart tin with some extra left over for mending. Refrigerate again for 30 mins.
Line the tart with baking paper and fill with rice. Bake for 20 minutes and then remove the baking paper and rice and return the tart to the oven for 5 more minutes. Your tart shell should be golden and dry. If there are any holes, brush the entire shell with egg white.

For the Filling:
125ml double cream
125ml milk
3 eggs
Whisk all the ingredients together, strain and then add in a pinch of salt and pepper.

200g olives
200g sundried tomatoes
150g feta
Roughly chop the olives and tomatoes. Put these into the tart shell and then crumble the feta over. Pour in the filling.
I find it easiest if the tart shell is on a tray that can go directly into the oven so you don’t have to lift it once the filling is in.

Bake at 170C for 25-30 minutes until the tart is golden at the edges and set in the middle. Allow to cool for 20 minutes before serving.