Wordless Wednesday: Everyone gets what they like best

Individual berry tart, with Dorie's pastry cream and NM's sweet tart dough, glaze made from strawberry-thyme jam; individual jelly jar parfaits with pastry cream, whipped cream, Dorie's cocoa crumbs, and varied berries depending on preference (inspired by Di)

Summer bounty

I meant to do my final post for ice cream week today, but instead spent my day dealing with the over-abundance of produce from our CSA.



The past three week's worth of beets became these chocolate beet muffins (thanks to Sara for tweeting about them yesterday, as I'd had no inspiration for dealing with the shelf full of red globes). They were a huge hit with the whole family, and I'm sure the extra cup of beet puree that I stashed in the freezer will be put to similar use soon.

The drawer full of cukes became seven jars of bread and butter pickles, a hot packed version of these fridge pickles. I love the ease of refrigerator pickles, but just don't have the fridge space.

And finally, I revisited small batch canning when I received a bag full of tomatoes, a ton of green and hot peppers, and onions in this week's box: three jars of hubby's favorite salsa.

For the first time, canning seemed more natural, less overwhelming. I didn't need to review the instructions every two seconds, and I made all of the salsa and almost all of the pickles without needing another pair of hands. Makes me feel more confident about the next over-flowing box of goodies coming my way!

Eggs in jars, part 2: Mini-quiches

Last summer, I discovered eggs in jars: we loved the ease of preparing them in advance and having a nice, easy, healthy, tasty breakfast in the morning. But as the school year progressed, hubby and I went back to making normal scrambled eggs for breakfast. I really enjoyed the flavor of the eggs in jars, but the texture got a little dry after a few days.

A couple of weeks ago, we took the family on a little mini-vaca to a waterpark. I like to bring our breakfasts and lunches so that we're not eating out every meal. The kids' breakfast is easy: they eat yogurt and cereal every morning. But I wanted something with more protein for hubby and me, something that could be made ahead of time and reheated in the microwave. And I thought of the eggs in jars. And then I thought of the quiche we'd had a few days before, and wondered if I could combine the two.

I've played with the recipe a few times, combining this one from the Kitchn, this one from Emeril, and this one from NM's Modern Baker. I make a batch in half-pint mason jars, screw on the lids, and pop them in the freezer. The night before, I put one in the fridge, and the next morning, I just throw it in the microwave for 90 seconds and have a delicious quiche!

Disclaimer: I like that the texture is much lighter and more quiche-like, even after several days. It never gets that rubbery texture of old scrambled eggs. And I really like the flavor from the zucchini, but it does create a little extra liquid at the bottom of the jar; hubby didn't like that part.

Quiche in jars
makes 5 half-pint mini-quiches

2/3 cup 2% milk
2/3 cup cream
4 eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/4 cup chopped onion (or green onions)
2 small zucchini or 1 large, grated
2 slices ham, chopped (or sausage or turkey sausage)
1/4 cup sharp cheddar, grated (or gruyere or pepperjack)

1. Preheat the oven to 375º.
2. Whisk together the milk, cream, eggs, salt, pepper, and nutmeg in a large measuring cup.
3. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and onions and saute for a minute. Then add the grated zucchini and cook for 3 - 4 minutes until the veggies begin to soften.
4. Butter the mason jars. Divide the zucchini and onion mixture evenly between the five jars. Then divide the ham and cheese equally. Finally pour in the egg.
5. Bake the jars (I put them all on a sheet pan for ease of moving them) for 30 - 35 minutes, or until the inside registers 160º.
6. Cool and then cover. These can be kept in the fridge and heated for about 60 seconds in the microwave. They also freeze really well. Just pull the (defrosted) jars from the fridge, microwave for 60 - 90 seconds, and enjoy!