Ever Ready: Friday Round-Up

Friday, April 22, 2022

Friday Round-Up

Two Contrasts

Medusa Head showed its first blooms today.

Some Minnesota friends sent me this photo. They made a visit to the Annual Como Park Conservatory Spring Show and thought of me. This has always been a favorite spring place to visit.

After a two-year absence, The Must Go Party was a "go" this year. It's a chance to get together with friends heading north for spring and summer. Though I did mention AGAIN there's still snow and ice cover ahead but all seemed anxious to get a move on. The gathering gave us all an opportunity to clean our pantry/freezer/refrig items and share extras. And believe me, there was no shortage of food with two long 5 foot tables piled high with food.

I brought Mini Ham Cheese Quiches as I somehow ended up with several boxes of pie crust.

Cook's Notes: 2 boxes are enough for 24 mini quiches. I used a standard size muffin tin and a glass with a 4-inch diameter as a cutter.

Cooking Tip: Even if you have a non-stick tin need to spray lightly each muffin well. A mini muffin tin can be used but dough circles will be 3 inches not 4 and baking time reduced. Use a small pitcher for pouring quiche batter into pie crust rounds.

Ingredients:

2 boxes of refrigerated pie dough
Chopped deli ham or bacon bits
Sharp yellow or white cheddar, grated
1 teaspoon each parsley flakes and herbes de province
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
3/4 cup half and half
1/2 cup heavy cream
4 large eggs

Directions:

Spray lightly standard muffin tin.
In a blender combine spices, cream, half and half, and eggs. Mix well and set aside.
Working with one pie crust at a time unroll on a lightly floured waxed paper. Cut out pie circles and press into muffin well and up the sides. Note that the pie crust will only go up part of the sides because the muffin tin is a bit larger. Prick lightly the bottom and sides of the dough rounds. Place pan in the refrigerator for 10 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake pie crust shells 12 minutes. Cool slightly. Place in each chopped meat, sprinkle with cheese, and carefully pour in the quiche mixture.
Bake until set at 12-13 minutes. wait a few minutes before removing each quiche from the pan.

Mini Lemon Mousse Tarts

Cook's Notes: I love to serve these easy mini tarts for dessert after a big meal. They rather melt in your mouth and burst with a pop of spring lemony flavor. A couple plates of these tarts were perfect for the Easter dinner.