Rainbow Quiche — Second Trimester Cooking Energy, Put to Good Use

Mid-July and things are going well in the way that means: normal, steady, the kind of pregnancy progression that the books describe without drama and that I am grateful for with the specific gratitude of someone who knows how many ways things can not be normal. I had a routine OB appointment Wednesday and everything checked out. The doctor said we are right on track. I said good. She said everything looks good. I said thank you. That is the kind of appointment that costs two hours and produces relief that lasts two weeks.

I have been nesting in the way that people make jokes about but that is actually a real thing: I reorganized the pantry twice this week and made a list of what needs to happen in the apartment before November and then made a secondary list organized by priority and urgency. Ryan watched me do this from the couch and said it is very early to be organizing the pantry for a baby. I said it is not early to have an organized pantry. He said point taken. He helped me for an hour and then had opinions about where the canned tomatoes go and I said this is why I organize the pantry alone.

The second trimester cooking energy is real and I am using it: this week I made a full Spanish tortilla (egg, potato, onion, olive oil, that is all), roasted a chicken that became three meals, and started a batch of refrigerator pickles from the farmers market cucumbers. I made two jars of pickles and ate half of one on the first day because pregnancy and pickles is not a cliché, it is a documented physiological experience.

Seventeen weeks. The apartment is rearranging itself around what is coming. The warm ivory kitchen is still the center. Pedro II has ten peppers now. Ryan drew a sketch of the nursery corner that does not exist yet. We are building it. We are building everything.

After the Spanish tortilla and the roasted chicken and the two jars of pickles, I still had eggs and half a produce haul from the farmers market and the kind of energy that says: keep going. This Rainbow Quiche was the answer—another egg dish, like the tortilla, but stuffed with every bright vegetable I had on hand. It felt like the right thing to make at seventeen weeks: colorful, sturdy, something that holds up in the fridge for days when you are busy reorganizing the pantry for the second time.

Rainbow Quiche

Prep Time: 25 minutes | Cook Time: 45 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes | Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 1 unbaked deep-dish pie crust (9 inch)
• 6 large eggs
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh broccoli florets
• 1/4 cup shredded carrots
• 1/4 cup diced yellow bell pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh spinach
• 2 tablespoons diced red onion
• 1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

1. Preheat and prep. Preheat oven to 375°F. Place pie crust in a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate and crimp the edges. Prick the bottom with a fork and par-bake for 8 minutes. Remove and set aside.
2. Sauté the vegetables. In a skillet over medium heat, sauté the red bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, broccoli, carrots, and red onion with a drizzle of olive oil for 3–4 minutes until just tender. Stir in the spinach and cook for 1 minute more. Set aside to cool slightly.
3. Make the custard. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, heavy cream, milk, salt, pepper, and nutmeg until smooth.
4. Assemble. Spread the sautéed vegetables evenly over the bottom of the par-baked crust. Sprinkle the Swiss and cheddar cheeses over the vegetables. Pour the egg custard mixture evenly over the top.
5. Bake. Place quiche on a baking sheet and bake at 375°F for 40–45 minutes, until the center is set and the top is lightly golden. If the crust edges brown too quickly, cover them with foil.
6. Rest and serve. Let the quiche cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes before slicing. Serve warm or at room temperature. Refrigerate leftovers for up to 4 days.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 320 | Protein: 13g | Fat: 24g | Carbs: 15g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 380mg