So it seems that even when I remember to photograph the stages of a particular dish, upload these photos, and have a tested recipe, I am still struggling to blog. There is a simple explanation for all this of course – I am thesis writing. Actual thesis writing. For a while, in March and April, I thought I would never write anything ever again. I was immersed in the work of Michel Foucault – the man wrote a ridiculous amount and I’ve had a crash course in the last few months. I began to talk about Foucault like a boyfriend I had to return home to all the time, he came to exist as an invisible entity in my life. It was (is) very weird. (I’ve also resolved that the way to fix this problem is of course, to get a cat and name it Foucault. Because at least then Foucault will be an actual living being, rather than a dead French philosopher I have re-created. It also has to be a cat. I don’t think Foucault works as a name for a dog – it needs to be a being that feels superior.)

So that is pretty much what I have been doing for the last few months – reading Foucault, talking about him, cursing him, and now, finally, writing about him – or at least, his ideas and concepts. It’s been spectacularly stressful. (Someday soon I will write the thesis analogy post I’ve had in my head. But for that I think we need cake and today I have only quiche.)

I made this quiche a few weeks ago. (When does quiche become pie? This is something I’ve wondered recently but don’t yet have the answer to and is of course completely irrelevant to this train of thought so let’s move along swiftly.) We’ve been on holiday here and I was cat-sitting for friends. They have an excellent kitchen and I took full advantage whilst I was there. Obviously you can do whatever you want for the filling – I like the combination of butternut (and other yellow/orange vegetables), blue cheese and bacon, but a myriad of things will work. The pastry is what I’m most excited about really. It’s crispy and crunchy. It’s got more presence than plain pastry. It’s also super easy and comes together in minutes.

Wholemeal Poppyseed Pastry
100g wholemeal spelt flour
150g plain flour
125g unsalted butter, cold
pinch of salt
a few tablespoons ice cold water
1 tbsp poppyseeds

In a bowl combine the two flours and salt. Rub the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add in the poppyseeds. Add in the water, a little at a time, until the pastry comes together to form a ball. Flatten this into a disc and refrigerate for at least an hour.

In the meantime, prep the quiche filling and make the egg mixture.

Egg Mixture
3 eggs
125ml double cream
125ml milk
salt and pepper
Whisk the eggs into the double cream and milk. Add in the salt and pepper. Set aside until needed.

Roll out the dough until 1/2cm thick. You want it thin but not so thin you can’t roll it up. Line a pie or tart dish – I let the edges overhang in case of shrinking. Refrigerate again for half an hour.

Preheat the oven to 180C. Blind bake the tart shell. I find it takes 20 minutes with rice/beans in and then another 5 minutes with the rice removed to just completely dry it out. Reduce the oven temperature to 165C. Fill the tart shell with filling of your choice followed by the egg mixture.

Bake until risen and set – about 30 to 40 minutes. Allow to cool before serving. Eat in large quantities, with salad.