Alpha Bakers -- Pizza Rustica

"But it's not a pizza!"

Wise words from a friend, as she watched me roll out a rich tart dough with thyme. In fact, she was so concerned that she flipped back through the book to check the picture.

"Nope, definitely not a pizza. That's a quiche."

While its pizza status might be debate-able (this delicacy is also known as a 'ham pie,' I'm told), the tart's appeal isn't up for debate, as long as you are craving a solid rich hit of cheese, sausage, and flaky crust. 

What this pie (pizza) is, is sturdy. Baked in a 9"x2" cake tin, a firm crust surrounds a rich filling of sopressata layered with mozzarella and a ricotta/egg custard. I had slightly less mozzarella than needed so I slipped in a little gruyere and goat boucheron. Whenever I have a party I stash a bunch of leftover cheese bits in the freezer for just this sort of occasion, and I'm working very hard on bringing the freezer back down to a manageable capacity right now, so that worked out well.

I served the pie in conjunction with some buckwheat waffles (yeast-raised, Marion Cunningham-style) and blackberry jam, so it never had a chance with me, but the others who ate it were big fans, and it was so easy to make, transport, and cut, that I will definitely be making versions of it again. Hearty and sturdy.

Presentation, Presentation, Presentation; or My Love Affair with Pie Crust

French Fridays with Dorie marches on (see all those vegetables, Mom & Dad?). It's so early in this challenge that I haven't even started messing with the recipes yet. I made this one straight up, a simple tart crust, a simple quiche filling of dairy, eggs, mustard, pepper. The trick of this tart is all in the presentation, something I rarely give enough to. I can make many delicious things, but when it comes to plating, or arranging them in an aesthetically pleasing way, I'd do better with an assistant. In this recipe, Dorie Greenspan herself acted as my assistant, thoughtfully providing a clear guideline to making this one of the prettiest food items I've ever crafted, wedding cake included.

All I had to do was to cut a bunch of CSA carrots and leeks into matchsticks (they were no match for my newly sharpened knife), steam them for a few minutes (several people also suggested microwaving them, which would have probably worked well), and then arrange them facing in. And just look at that.

Not quite as pretty as the photo in the book, but not far off. And really, really good. Especially the tomato variation pictured on part of tart #2, above. Actually, according to the book, the tomato version is the classic, and the carrot is the variation. Either way, this tart is going to turn up a lot in my kitchen from now on--it's a classy potluck offering, and it was great for lunch. Welcome to the '70s. Or was it the '80s that were the heyday of the quiche?