Quiche for Lunch

Can you believe I have been in France for a month and have barely mentioned food? Both David and I love to cook, but being without our kitchen has introduced some challenges. We anxiously await the day that we can unpack our beloved KitchenAid mixer, our Henckel knives, and our pastry blender! Until then, we are making-do with the IKEA supplied kitchen in our temporary apartment.

In France, lunch tends to be a heavier meal than dinner--a custom to which we easily adapted, especially since the typical "lunch break" lasts for two luxurious hours! Feeling an itch to cook, but wanting to work primarily within the scope of supplies available, I chose to make a quiche for lunch today. I looked up a recipe on-line for some general proportions, and then I improvised.

I sautéed onions, leeks, and mushrooms and blanched some spinach to use in the filling. Then I mixed about 6 small eggs with a cup and a half of crème fraîche. I used shredded emmental for the cheese--two big handfuls. The crust, which I purchased pre-made from the refrigerator section of the local grocery store, was better by far than any pre-made crust I have ever bought in the states. I will never bother to make my own while in France.

A fruit salad was our choice of side dish, comprised of a nectarine, a mango, a pineapple, a banana, and some strawberries. I made a dressing for the fruit salad by mixing raw sugar, crème fraîche, and a few teaspoons of orange juice. But of course, it would've been fine without a dressing. It won't be long before these summer sweets are gone for winter.

And no French meal would be complete without bread. David purchased this baguette from the boulangerie across the street. It had just come out of the oven, and was still warm half an hour later when we sat down to lunch.

It would not be uncommon to have a glass of wine with such a lunch, but today we opted for water. So. What did you have for lunch?

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