Sunday 27th May - Alternative to quiche for Post-Modern Christians

If there are a lot of typos in this post, blame the bordeau (Chateau Bel Air). I have managed to catch four so far, and am still in the first couple of sentences.

Years ago, at university, I bought a cagoule, learnt to like quiche, and to enjoy orange squash. This was because I had had a "conversion experience" and become a "real" Christian. It was York University, and David Watson  was mesmerising everyone from St Mike's (St Michael-le-Belfry in the shadow of the Minister). I am everlastingly grateful to his ministry, as, with various ups and downs and periods of "lying fallow", I have stayed a Christian ever since.

However, over the years, I have learnt that it is "okay" to ditch the cagoule, resume drinking wine, and become - let's say - ambivalent - over the merits of quiche.

Today I made frittata for lunch. It is like quiche without the pastry.

We moved the garden bench and collapsing foldable table to the shady end of the garden, under the old apple tree, and ate frittata, consumed olives, and shared (garlic) bread and wine together.

I wonder if frittata was around in Biblical, that is, New Testament, times?

I started with this recipe from the Daily Mail (thanks be to Google)

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/you/article-1196599/Recipe-Oven-baked-frittata.html

HOWEVER; the instructions are for 6, and there were only three of us. And I only had single cream. And she doesn't care for tomatoes. And I didn't have any Gruyere cheese. So I more or less halved everything, substituted some cheddar for the Gruyere, red pepper for tomatoes, and added chives and a slice of ham. I only had double cream, so used less cream and more milk.

Here is my version for three people;

Set the oven to 200 (fan) before you start

Fry one diced courgette and half a diced red pepper in a little olive oil for 5 mins, then set aside to cool.
In a bowl, mix the equivalent of 75ml single cream and 75 ml milk, 1 tbs cornflour, three eggs, some salt and pepper. Whisk until smooth, stir in some grated cheese (a couple of handfuls of strong cheddar that had been lurking in the bottom of the fridge in this case), a slice of ham chopped up, a couple of spoonfuls of chopped fresh chives, and a sprig of parsley that had fallen off the pot plant on the windowsill.
Line a 1lb loaf tin with  baking paper, pour the mix in, and add the fried courgette and pepper.
Bake in the oven for 25 - 30 mins until it looks like the picture of the real thing.

For what we received, we were truly grateful. It was very, very good.

Sitting in the garden, listening to the birds, watching the bees, enjoying the sun and the shade and the breeze.... Paradise regained.