Fennel Leek And Celery Quiche Recipes

FENNEL, LEEK, AND CELERY QUICHE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450. Melt the butter in a sauté pan and sauté the fennel, leek, and celery until they just start to brown and they have given up most of their liquid. Meanwhile, with a whisk or mixer, beat the eggs, ½ & ½, salt, peppers, and nutmeg until well combined. Line pie pan with the pastry shell. (A tart pan may also be used, but I like my quiche thick.) Spread the cheese evenly in the pastry shell. Top this with the sautéd veggies. Pour the egg mixture over everything. No need to mix it, but it's good to press everything down into the egg mixture. Place the quiche in the oven and cook for 15 minutes. Without opening the door, reduce the temperature to 350. Cook an additional 40 - 45 minutes. I shake the rack that the quiche is on to tell when it is done. If it's not done, the center will move like liquid. If it's done, it will hold its shape. When done, remove and let cool for 15 minutes and serve.

POTATO, LEEK AND FENNEL SOUP

Steps:

• Melt butter in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add leeks and fennel and sauté until leeks are translucent, about 7 minutes. Add broth and potatoes and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer soup until potatoes are very tender, about 25 minutes. Working in batches, purée soup in blender. Return to same pot. Rewarm soup if necessary. Season with salt and pepper. Ladle soup into bowls; garnish with reserved fennel fronds and serve.

SAUTEED FENNEL AND LEEKS

Steps:

• Heat oil in a medium sized skillet over medium heat; add fennel and cook, stirring occasionally until translucent, about 10 minutes.
• Add leeks, season with salt and pepper, cook 5 minutes more,.
• Stir in lemon zest and butter, adjust seasonings, serve.

CREAMY FENNEL AND LEEK SOUP

Steps:

• Heat the butter in a large, deep (preferably non-stick) sauté pan, over a medium heat, add the sliced fennel (NOT the strips of fennel), sliced leek and finely chopped garlic, and sauté, while stirring occasionally, for 3-4 minutes or until the fennel, leeks and garlic are beginning to soften.
• Remove from the heat, and set aside.
• In a large pot, heat the stock, add the rosemary sprigs, thyme and nutmeg and bring to the boil.
• Simmer over a low heat for about 15 minutes.
• Remove the rosemary sprigs.
• Add the fennel, leek and garlic mixture to the pot, and stir to combine all the ingredients.
• Set the pan in which the fennel, leek and garlic were sautéed aside, for re-use later.
• Allow the soup to cool slightly (10 minutes cooling time should be ample), then blend it in batches in a blender or food processor until smooth.
• As each batch is blended, pour the blended soup into another pot or pan, perhaps the deep pan used earlier to sauté the fennel, leeks and garlic.
• Once all of the soup has been blended, stir it to ensure that it is of an even consistency (inevitably some batches were probably thinner than others).
• Stir the sour cream and the 1/4 cup of parmesan into the soup.
• Reheat the soup over a medium heat until it is hot, but do not allow it to come to the boil.
• Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Turn off the heat and leave the soup covered so that it stays warm.
• In a small non-stick pan, heat the oil, and sauté the extra leek for 2-3 minutes, or until softened but not browned.
• Ladle the soup into warm soup bowls and top with the sautéed leek.
• Garnish with the extra parmesan and sour cream, and serve immediately with warm crusty rolls.
• Chef's Note: Since posting this recipe, and since last making this soup, I have found and posted a fabulous recipe for vegetable, quite unlike others I have used in the past: Vegetable Stock Recipe #135453.

LEEK AND FENNEL SOUP

Steps:

• In a large saucepan or soup kettle over medium-low heat, place the olive oil, leeks, celery, onions, fennel, potatoes, salt, and pepper, and cook and stir until the onions are translucent and the vegetables have begun to soften, about 10 minutes.
• Pour 8 cups of water over the vegetables, bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and drop in the vegetable bouillon cubes. Simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally to dissolve the cubes, until the vegetables are tender and the potatoes have begun to thicken the soup, about 30 minutes.

FENNEL SAUSAGE AND MUSHROOM QUICHE

Steps:

• To make the pie crust: In a food processor (or a large bowl, if mixing by hand), combine the flour, sugar, and salt. Pulse once or twice to combine. Add the butter and pulse until it is broken down into pea-size pieces. (If mixing by hand, get in there with your hands and work the butter into the flour.)
• Add the eggs and pulse (or stir by hand) until combined. The dough may still seem dry and not entirely together--that's okay. Dump it out onto a piece of plastic wrap. Bring the dough together into a ball and flatten it into a disc on the plastic wrap; it should come together as you do, but if it is still too dry, add a teaspoon or two of very cold water. Wrap the dough tightly and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• On a well-floured work surface, roll out the dough into a round just under 1/4 inch thick. Line a 9-inch pie pan with the dough (see Chef's Note). Cut the excess dough from the edge and then crimp the edge and fold it up. With a fork, gently poke the bottom of the dough all over. Chill the dough lined pie pan for 10 minutes. Line the dough with a large piece of parchment paper and fill it with dried beans or pie weights. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until it starts getting golden and is almost fully cooked. Remove the parchment and beans or weights and bake for 10 minutes more, or until just lightly golden all over and fully baked. Transfer to a wire rack; keep the oven on.
• To make the quiche: In a large skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter over medium to high heat. Add the sausage, fennel seeds, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook until the sausage is almost fully cooked, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the mushrooms and remaining 1/2 tablespoon butter and cook until the mushrooms begin to soften and the sausage is fully cooked all the way through, about 5 minutes. Add the sage, stir to combine, and turn off the heat.
• In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs well until frothy. Add the milk, cream, pepper, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and whisk again. Add the cheese and stir to combine. Set aside.
• Pour the sausage-mushroom mixture into the baked pie crust and spread it evenly. Pour the milk mixture evenly over the sausage and mushrooms.
• Bake the quiche for 35 to 45 minutes, then cover it with foil and bake for 10 to 15 minutes more, until the center is jiggly but set.
• Let the quiche cool, then slice and enjoy. The quiche will keep, covered, in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat it in the oven or microwave.

FENNEL AND CELERY ROOT CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Bring a large steamer pot of water to a boil. Place fennel, celery root, and onion slices in the steamer insert. Steam until tender, approximately 7 to 10 minutes.
• Spread the steamed vegetables and apple slices evenly in the bottom of an 8 x 8-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pour cream around the sides of the dish until the liquid reaches half-way to the top. Sprinkle with shredded cheese, and cover tightly with foil.
• Bake in preheated oven until hot and bubbly and cheese has melted, approximately 40 minutes.