What’s the perfect match to your end of the summer brunches? Well a light and fluffy quiche of course. The beauty of a quiche, much like a frittata, is that you can out just about anything in the fridge in it. Just make sure you have eggs and milk/cream, and of course a flaky pie shell. You can make your crust, but there are dozens of buttery options available in your favorite grocery stores. So puck a permanent crust up and save yourself time, making this brunch favorite one of the quickest baked options for morning preparations.

Pair with a super cold Rosé, like one of my favorites from Stoller Family in Willamette, or a new find from Smith Story Wines in California , their Rosé of Pinot Noir (available at Pogo’s) from grapes grown in Germany. Though most of Germany is too cold to grow red wine grapes, Pinot Noir grown in the southern part of the country stays balanced with a great combination of acidity and freshness with red berry and tangerine flavors.

Ingredients:

1 pre-made frozen pie crust

10 ounces frozen spinach

1 tablespoon chopped parsley (optional)

1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill (optional)

1/2 yellow onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon butter

1/4 cup white wine

4 large eggs

1 cup milk or heavy cream

1 cup grated sharp cheddar or gouda cheese

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Splash Worcestershire sauce

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon each salt and pepper

Optional additions: chopped fresh tomatoes or sundried tomatoes, crisp bacon, turkey or ham, chopped zucchini, squash, arugula, additional herbs, goat cheese, etc.

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Melt the butter in a skillet and sauté the onions and garlic until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the wine and cook until evaporated. As you are doing this thaw the spinach. Use your microwave to help if looking to keep the prep quick. (It should take about 5 minutes in the microwave.) Once thawed place the spinach in a colander lined with a clean kitchen towel or paper towels and let cool slightly then ring as much water out of the spinach as you can then pour on to a cutting board and chop. Then mix into the onions and garlic, stir to combine then cool.

Meanwhile, once the oven is warmed place the pie crust in the oven, weighing it down with 5 ounces of dried beans wrapped in aluminum foil (to keep your crust from puffing and cooking unevenly.) Bake for 5-7 minutes. You don’t need it to be cooked all the way through,  just helped along. As the shell is baking, crack the eggs into a large mixing bowl and whisk together, then whisk in the milk until just combined. Add the herbs, cheese, red pepper, Worcestershire sauce and salt and pepper and fold in with a wooden spoon.  Fold the spinach mixture, cooled to not cook the eggs, into the custard.

Remove the crust from the oven. Carefully remove the beans and foil.  Pour the beans into a holder for use another time and take the left over foil and mold it around the crust, careful not to break the shell. This will keep the crust from getting too brown while the quiche is cooking.

Pour the mixture into the crust and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes or until the center is well set. Remove from the oven and take the foil off. Let cool slightly then serve with an arugula and parmesan salad.