I love eggs, so much that I’d prefer them to be center of every meal. Especially farm fresh, pastured eggs. I’m sure I’ve ranted about them before, but I swear there’s nothing better. Perfect yellow-orange yolks that stay intact until disturbed with a fork or whisk. You could probably even play a nice game of catch with them, but I’d test it outside, just in case.

I know I’ve shared with you my take on Croque Madame, but now we’re getting (just a teeny bit) more complicated, and a little more cooking time. We move on to quiches (pronounced “quee-shee” in my home, because I’m a bit silly like that). Another favorite because once you master the base or quiche “template”, you can really do anything you want with it. Fresh leeks are in season, so that was my main ingredient. I was hoping for spinach, but nothing looked good, so cheese, leeks and ham will just have to do. Swiss is also a standard, but pretty much any melting cheese will do. This time I tried a NYS colby like cheese that was just a tad on the funky side. To me, it seemed more like a fontina.

Cheesy Leek and Ham Quiche

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 large leeks, cleaned and chopped (about 3 cups)
• 8 oz ham
• 6 eggs
• 2 tbsp milk
• 8 oz cheese of choice (Gruyere is traditional), shredded
• Frozen whole wheat pie shell (you can make your own, but I was a bit lazy)

Preheat oven to 400°F. Heat oil in large skillet until hot. Add leeks and ham. Saute until leeks are bright green and softened and ham is warm. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Crack eggs into large bowl and whisk until all yokes are broken. Add milk and whisk until frothy and well blended. Add ham/leek mixture until just combined. Sprinkle in cheese while mixing so that all ingredients are well mixed and cheese doesn’t clump. Pour batter into pie shell and bake 45-50 minutes until top is slightly browned and center is no longer raw. I suggest putting the pie onto a cookie sheet before baking, just in case of overflow. Let set for 10 minutes before serving.

For leftovers eat cold or heat in microwave for about 60 seconds. Makes a great next morning breakfast!

Related articles

• Kitchen Sink Quiche (southandtown.com)
• Breakfast, Brunch or Lunch (brooklynlocavore.wordpress.com)
• Glorious Butternut Quiche (tastecafepretoria.wordpress.com)