Torta (sorta!)

I had (whisper it) a vegetarian over for lunch.

Dan doesn't understand the concept of vegetarianism. So I had to try and create a lunch where he wouldn't notice the lack of meat or fish.

He does have a weakness for courgettes, so when I came across a Torta Verde recipe I thought that might do the trick. This Torta Verde recipe was basically a rice, courgette and parsley pie, so I adapted it to make a courgette-y quiche.

Here's my adaption of the recipe:

Anwen's Courgette and Parsley Quiche

100g white flour
100g wholemeal flour
3 tablespoons olive oil
warm water (about 60-80ml)

450g courgettes
2 garlic cloves
1/2 onion
2 eggs
30g gruyere
Large handful of parsley

salt and pepper

Pastry:
Mix the two different kinds of flours together, add a pinch of salt. Make a well in the centre add the olive oil. Stir to mix. Slowly add the warm water, mixing with your hands to make a soft, but not sticky dough.
Wrap in clingfilm and put in the fridge to rest for 20 minutes.
Put the oven on to heat to 180C.
Make the filling: Chop up the courgette, garlic, onion. Put everything into a food processor, season, whizz. Add a handful of parsley. Whizz again.
Roll out the pastry , lightly oil quiche dish and line with pastry.
Blind bake for 15 minutes (10 with baking beans and then remove them for another 5 minutes).
Beat two eggs, add to the courgette mixture and mix. Grate the cheese and fold in.
Fill the pastry case with the courgette and egg mixture. Return to the oven for about 25-30 minutes, or until the courgette mixture is slightly puffed and set.
Remove from oven and allow to cool.



Interestingly, last time I made pastry using olive oil instead of butter I didn't think it was a good method, but it went well in this context.

We also had tomato soup, sourdough toast, olives, and a selection of yummy cheeses from the farmers market. Then a good old hearty country walk in the spring sunshine, with a picnic of scones and jam halfway.

What a lovely, chilled out sunday.

Dan didn't moan about the lack of animal protein.

Not once.

Which means that I won this one.