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This recipe is horribly old. It is back from around the time right after we got married in May. But this is part of the promise to myself to get these old posts up and out of the “pending” folder! Plus as you will see if you read this post, there are several good reasons for posting it now.

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This Quiche is my entry for Ley’s Baking for Breast Cancer Awareness Event ! It is being hosted over on one of my favorite blogs, Cilanto & Lime. It is Ley’s first blog event and I encourage everyone to participate. Last month we participated in Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, here on The Leftover Queen Blog . I feel that it is vitally important to spread awareness about all these diseases!!!

Thankfully, up until this year I have not personally known anyone with this terrible disease. But with the expanding of my horizons through the food blogosphere, I heard about Bri, from Figs with Bri , during last June’s Click Event. Bri is been battling this terrible disease for the second time. My heart and prayers go out to her and her family. I don’t personally know Bri, but I feel like she is part of my foodie family anyway, so this is dedicated to her and all the other women and men who suffer from this disease and their loved ones.

Breast Cancer Statistic: Excluding cancers of the skin, breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed among U.S. women, accounting for more than 1 in 4 cancers. For more, see this website.

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I have never been a fan of apples. For me, when people got all excited in the fall for apple season, I hunker down, square my shoulders and get ready for all the apple treats I have to consume out of politeness during this season. I can’t really explain what it is about apples I don’t like. I like crunch, so it isn’t that. I just think the flavor of them is either too sweet or too tart for me to ever really like. I lived in Apple Country, New England for years, and I have tried many different types, I have been to many an apple festival, but there were never any that really “applealed” to me. The only things apple-y that I can tolerate are apple cider donuts, or apples that are paired with something savory. For example, apples in squash soup, a piece of apple pie with cheddar cheese or this latest recipe, Apple Chard Quiche. I decided to post this in honor of the fact that we are heading off on our yearly New England trip next week, and heading right into apple country!!! To read about last year’s trip, click here(the articles are on both the first and second pages).

Anyway, while we had family here over the time of the wedding, apples were purchased, because some of the guests liked them. But when they left, there were several remaining apples. Horror of horrors! What was I supposed to do with these, these, things???? Being the Leftover Queen that I am, I couldn’t even think about throwing them away, even though I don’t like them. I thought about throwing them outside for the animals, but thought I really should challenge myself instead. So I knew I had come upon one of my greatest culinary challenges. I had to come up with something tolerable, that I could pass off even as good, for two apple-haters. Yep, Roberto is not a friend to the apple either. Imagine that.

I came across this recipe I had saved from a Vegetarian Times Magazine years ago. I think I was intrigued by the combination of flavors. So, I tweaked it to our liking. The amazing thing is, we both really genuinely loved it. It was really weird, but we could have eaten the whole quiche in one sitting. We actually had to restrain ourselves , even in our bewilderment. So the crazy thing is, that I for the first time in my life, I am happy it is apple season, so I can enjoy this quiche at the height of their season. Who would have thought?

Apple-Chard Quiche
adapted from Vegetarian Times

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INGREDIENTS:

1 TBS olive oil
1 TBS unsalted, European butter
1 large Spanish or yellow onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup white wine – I used chardonnay
1 1/2 cups shredded swiss chard -I used red
salt and pepper to taste
3 apples, chopped
2 TBS whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
2 large eggs
1 packed cup shredded sharpest cheddar cheese – I used Cabot vintage extra sharp
1/2 cup milk
1 9-inch deep dish pie crust – I was bad and bought one, actually I bought two, it came in handy later…


METHOD:

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Preheat oven to 375F. Bake frozen crust in oven for about 10 minutes. Heat oil and butter together in a large skillet over medium heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and add the onions. Sautee until caramelized, about 15-20 minutes. After about 5 minutes, add wine and reduce. If the onions start to dry out or burn, add water to the skillet. I had to add probably about 3 tablespoons during the process. But I used my cast iron skillet, which tends to need more liquid. Add swiss chard, salt and pepper and stir often until chard is soft, about 7 minutes.

In a small mixing bowl, combine apples, flour and nutmeg. Toss to coat the apples. In a larger bowl, combine eggs, and milk. Beat until blended. Add cheese and stir to combine everything. Fold in the apple mixture.

Spoon chard/onion mixture into pie crust and then pour the egg/cheese/apple mixture on top.

Bake for 35-40 minutes or until cheese mixture is set and the top is nice and browned. Cool for about 5 minutes before slicing, or it will fall apart. Take it from one who knows.

After I filled the one pie crust, I had leftover swiss chard and caramelized onions. So I rolled the other pie crust out and made a kind of calzone, by stuffing the crust with swiss chard, onions and chunks of cheddar. Man, that was rockin!