Chard Quiche with Almond Crust -- The Recipe That Held Me While We Waited

We went back for the second look on Thursday evening and stood in the backyard -- which is maybe thirty feet by forty but has a fence and a tree and a corner where you could put a vegetable garden -- and I looked at the tree and thought about Liam and Nora running through a yard and I was done deciding. I said to Sean: "Let's make an offer." He said: "I know. But we should wait." I said why. He said the market is overheated and the house needs the kitchen and we should look at two more before we commit. I stood in the yard and knew he was right and didn't want him to be right and said: "Two more. Then we decide."

He is the more patient of us. He always has been. I see a thing and I want it. He sees a thing, waits, and sees if it's still what he wants a week later. This means we have not made bad impulsive decisions. It also means I have spent seven years wanting things we eventually got.

Liam turned three and a half this week -- he told me so himself, "I am three and a half now Mama," with the significance of a person reporting a promotion. He is three and a half. He starts the pre-K program at the community center in September as a four-year-old class because they take kids who turn four within the school year and he turns four in March. He is excited. The backpack has been selected.

Peach galette Sunday -- the free-form kind with the rough pastry edge and too much fruit, the good butter crust, the almond paste underneath. Summer stone fruit is the reason for the oven being on in July.

I made this on the same Sunday I was thinking about the yard, the tree, the two more houses we had promised ourselves to see first — all of it. There is something about a crust you press by hand, the almond meal going rough and golden at the edges, that gives impatient people something useful to do. The quiche, like the house question, asks you to wait for it to set before you cut into it. I am trying to get better at that.

Chard Quiche with Almond Crust

Prep Time: 25 minutes | Cook Time: 50 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes | Servings: 6

Ingredients

• For the almond crust:
• 1 cup almond flour
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• For the filling:
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 large bunch Swiss chard (about 10 oz), stems removed, leaves roughly chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 3 large eggs
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 3/4 cup shredded Gruyère cheese, divided

Instructions

1. Make the crust. Preheat oven to 375°F. In a medium bowl, whisk together almond flour, all-purpose flour, and salt. Work in the cold butter with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the beaten egg and stir until the dough just comes together. Press evenly into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie dish. Prick the bottom several times with a fork.
2. Blind bake the crust. Line the crust with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 12 minutes, then remove the weights and parchment and bake another 5 minutes until the crust is lightly golden. Set aside. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.
3. Cook the chard. In a large skillet over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more. Add the chopped chard, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and a splash of water. Cook, tossing frequently, until the chard is fully wilted and any liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
4. Make the custard. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, heavy cream, milk, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, black pepper, and nutmeg until smooth and fully combined.
5. Assemble. Scatter half the Gruyère over the bottom of the pre-baked crust. Spread the chard mixture evenly over the cheese. Pour the custard over the top, then scatter the remaining Gruyère over the surface.
6. Bake. Bake at 350°F for 30 to 35 minutes, until the custard is just set at the center — it should have a slight wobble but not be liquid. If the crust edges brown too quickly, tent loosely with foil.
7. Rest before slicing. Let the quiche rest on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes before cutting. It slices cleanest when it has had time to settle.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 380 | Protein: 14g | Fat: 29g | Carbs: 14g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 390mg