Quiche and Salad

It must be tedious as a vegetarian if you are only offered some kind of savoury tart or quiche as your main meal - and when looking for special main dishes for a vegetarian,eg in the Christmas mags, I am always disappointed that they mostly feature pastry and are a variation, however fancy, on the theme.

But a quiche can still be a lovely meal and a very flexible one. We had an uncooked pastry case in the freezer, a very handy thing to have, and three onions cooked right down, a splash of balsamic vinegar to the mix, a few sliced peppers from a jar for colour, then the usual eggs, milk and cheese including some left over feta in cubes and it was delicous hot and yummy cold the next day for lunch.

This salad was a hit too.

White Bean and Courgette Salad

2 courgettes
A tin of cannelinni or haricot beans
1/2 lb small tomatoes
Basil or other herbs eg thyme
Garlic and olive oil

1. Slice the courgettes longways on a potato peeler.  Then using a pastry brush, lightly oil each slice with olive oil before griddling them to soften slightly and get the striped effect.
2. Meanwhile roast the tomatoes, seasoned and sprinkled with a little olive oil, on a tray in a hot oven for 10 mins or so, til they break and start to go brown at the edges.
3. Heat the beans in a saucepan with the liquid from the tin for a few moments - this is just to encourage them to take up the dressing.
4. Mix a good handfull of basil or other herbs with 3 tablepoons of so of olive oil and at least one clove crushed garlic - you can do this by hand or use the processor.
5. Drain the beans and then add some of the dressing, the courgettes and lastly the tomatoes. You won't need any vinegar or other acid element as the tomatoes will add their juicy sharpness. Taste for seasoning and add as much more of the dressing as you need.
6. Eat straight away or leave to go cold and to let the flavours marry.