The weekend would begin with quiche. That was a given. My friend would pick me up at the San Francisco airport and before beginning our journey north, we would stop for breakfast. For quiche, that is. I have been dreaming about the Tartine quiche for over a year now, since my last and only other visit to this most adored San Francisco cafe. The much anticipated weekend arrived, and I found myself at Tartine with two dear friends standing in a line stretching around the corner. As we waited, we contemplated our order, which quickly became apparent would be a feast. None of us was prepared to make a difficult decision this morning, so we decided to keep things simple — we would order everything: Quiche. Croque monsieur. Morning Bun. Scone. Croissant. Almond Croissant. Bread Pudding. The quiche with ham and Swiss chard, my friends confirmed, lived up to every expectation I had created for them. The bread pudding with fresh peaches, too, and the croque monsieur with heirloom tomatoes and Gruyère similarly blew us away. But Tartine’s quiche has completely changed my perception of this classic dish. The texture of the quiche, which includes not an ounce of cheese, is truly a beautiful thing. Before tasting Tartine’s, quiche for me was all about the fillers — onions, bacon, cheese, zucchini, tomatoes, mushrooms, whatever. Now, it’s about the custard, the light, creamy, custard.
What Makes Tartine’s Quiche So Good?
I have a few ideas, thanks to the Tartine cookbook, which so generously has provided a dead-on recipe. Seriously. I followed the recipe to a T and recreated, what I believe, is the most delicious quiche on the planet.
Homemade Crème Fraîche?
Final note: When I made this at home, I, for the first time ever, made my own crème fraîche, which was so much fun — it’s crazy to see heavy cream transform into a thick, tangy mass of goodness. It’s easy, too: Mix 2 tablespoons of buttermilk (or 2 tablespoons of yogurt) with 2 cups of heavy cream. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 12 to 24 hours. Stir and then store until ready to use. I must admit that making this quiche is no simple task. That said, if you have the tart dough made in advance (which I do now since the tart dough recipe yields enough for two 10-inch quiches) and if you have the crème fraîche made in advance (or are using store-bought), making this quiche isn’t such a process. It’s also just a matter of getting familiar with the process. Clockwise from top left: Quiche shell, lined with parchment paper, ready to be blind-baked. Filled quiche shell ready for the oven. Baked quiche. Baked quiche up close. Next on my recipes to tackle in the Tartine cookbook is bread pudding made with homemade brioche bread. Before we head there, however, I just want to share a few highlights of my trip to Napa: Wine tasting at Cakebread Cellars in Napa Valley. Grapes at Cakebread: Wine tasting at Hendry’s Winery in Napa. The tasting table at Hendry’s: Eating macaroons at Bouchon in Yountville. Incredibly delicious. Visiting Bouchon altogher. Here we sampled TKOs (Thomas Keller Oreos…amazing), chocolate bouchons, macaroons, croissants, almond croissants, ham and cheese sandwiches, epi baguettes and quiche. The spread, pictured at the very bottom, was remarkable. 5 from 2 reviews
1 tsp. salt (I used table salt) 2/3 cup ice water 3 cups + 2 T. all-purpose flour (1 lb.) 1 cup + 5 T. unsalted butter, very cold
Quiche with Swiss Chard and Crème Fraîche
1 fully baked 10-inch Flaky Tart Shell Dough 5 large eggs 3 T. all-purpose flour 1 cup crème fraîche* 1 cup whole milk 1 tsp. kosher salt ½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper 1 T. fresh thyme, finely chopped (I didn’t have thyme so I used chives) 1 cup uncooked coarsely chopped Swiss Chard (I used more like 2 or 3 cups)
- To make crème fraîche, place 2 cups heavy cream in bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of yogurt or 2 tablespoons of buttermilk. Stir to combine. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 12 to 24 hours. Stir. Mixture will be nice and thick. Store in the fridge until ready to use. Note: Try to use good heavy cream and not ultra-pasteurized if possible — I used to have no trouble making crème fraîche, but recently I have found that it takes an especially long time for the cream to thicken. If you find that after 12 hours the cream does not look thick at all, add a few more tablespoons of buttermilk or yogurt to the mixture.
