My first meal as a mother was eaten about an hour after my son was born. It was 8 o’clock on a chilly December morning. The sun was shining; I was tucked into bed feeling tired, happy and wondering what this momentous change would mean for our lives. Fortunately, I was surrounded by unflappable women who were taking expert care of our brand new family.
As with all experienced caretakers, one of the first things addressed was food. “What would you like to eat?” The question felt out of place, too normal for the aftermath of the seismic shift that had occurred only moments before. It took a few sips of juice for me to realize I was actually quite hungry.
A few nights before we had been given a lovely quiche by our birth doula. The recipe was classic ham and cheese; I knew there was one piece left. Suddenly I could think of nothing better than digging in to that final slice of quiche.
The gently warmed quiche arrived a few minutes later. A meal delivery from Tom Douglas himself would not have tasted better. I took my time with each bite, savoring the mingling of soft, eggy custard and flaky crust. Eating that single slice of quiche was a profoundly moving experience. After years of turning to food at moments of heightened emotions, this was the first time I had ever felt truly comforted by a meal.
My oldest son will start first grade in September. Last week, we went to visit the new school where he will be a little fish in a big pond of kids from our neighborhood. At 6½ years old he is confident, articulate, thoughtful. And after a year with an amazing kindergarten teacher, he is more than ready for this big step — but I am not.
Just before school started last year, we bought him a new pair of sneakers. The previous pair were well worn and his toes were bumping up against the inside of the shoes. A few weeks ago I looked down at the new pair and realized they were no longer new. In fact, they had become as worn and faded as the pair they replaced last fall. I asked him to stand tall and pressed my thumb over the end of the shoe. Pushing down against the fabric confirmed my suspicions, his toes were once again bumping against the inside of his shoes.
It is cliche but true, where does all that time go?
Today, quiche continues to be one of my favorite comfort foods. Most of the time, to save calories, I now make quiche without a crust. But, once a year I roll out pastry and fill it with an egg mixture and enjoy the full quiche experience. A few years ago I experimented with creating a crust from grated sweet potato. The taste was excellent but the texture was not quite right. Recently, I saw a picture of a quiche with a crust of sliced sweet potato and eagerly gave it a try.
A sweet potato crust will not satisfy a craving for a buttery flaky pastry shell — it isn’t pastry, it is sweet potatoes, after all. However, as a fan of both sweet potatoes and the texture of a crustless quiche, this method strikes a wonderful compromise.
I filled the crust with the sharp and salty flavors I most enjoy with sweet potatoes: blue cheese, caramelized onions, ham and a touch of mustard. With a serving of fruit or a leafy salad, this ham and blue cheese sweet potato quiche makes an excellent breakfast, brunch or lunch.
Perhaps you will be inspired to ponder the everyday miracles in your life as you savor your own gently warmed slice.
Ham and blue cheese sweet potato quiche
The crust
1pound sweet potato, 3 inches in diameter
Sprinkle of salt
For the filling
1teaspoon oil, grape seed recommended
1½ cups, chopped red onions
2large eggs
4large egg whites
½ cup 1 percent milk, 1%
½ teaspoon ground mustard
¼ teaspoon pepper, black
¼ teaspoon salt
1ounce (¼ cup) reduced fat blue cheese crumbles
8ounce boneless ham steak, 97 percent fat free, diced
Prepare the crust: Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Use a paper towel to apply a thin coating of oil to a 9-½ inch glass pie dish. Peel the sweet potato then slice into uniform slices a hair thicker than 1/8 inch each.
Create the crust: Cut ¼ inch off the widest slices to create a flat bottom. Arrange the slices like flower petals against the side of the pie dish, overlapping slightly. Do this until you have two layers of sweet potato petals. Arrange the remaining slices in two layers on the bottom of the pie dish, use the cut pieces to fill in spaces. There will be gaps, lumps, and bumps — don’t worry this is all fine.
Spray the assembled crust with a touch of oil or cooking spray and sprinkle with a pinch or two of salt then bake for 20 minutes.
While the crust bakes: Add oil to a large skillet over medium heat. When the oil is warm add the chopped onion and a pinch of salt. Let cook until the onions begin to brown and the natural sugars caramelize, stir frequently. Remove the caramelized onions from the pan and set aside. Whisk together the eggs, egg whites, milk, mustard, salt and pepper then set the mixture aside.
When the crust is baked, allow it to cool slightly then gently adjust the sweet potato slices as needed to fill in any large spaces that were created during cooking.
Increase the oven temperature to 375 degrees.
Spoon the onions into the crust in an even layer, sprinkle over the blue cheese crumbles then top with the ham cubes. Pour the egg mixture over everything then bake for 35 to 40 minutes. The finished quiche will move slightly at the center when wiggled but should look firm.
Cool to room temperature before serving.
Makes 8 servings
Approximate nutrition per serving: 139 calories, 3.6g fat, 1.3g sat fat, 489mg sodium, 16g carbohydrates, 2.3g fiber, 4g sugar, 11g protein
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