Crab quiche!!

Again, I cheated on the crust.  I used one I bought at my co-op because I still haven’t broken down and learned to make a good one.

1 cup picked crab meat picked up on the way back from the Outer Banks.
@ 2 cups grated Jarlsberg cheese
3 free range eggs beaten into 1.5 cups milk and poured over the crab and cheese.
Light dusting of ground cayenne.

I’m starting to smell it so it’s nearly done.
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What I have found is that you put however much stuff you like in the crust, around 2-3 cups of tastiness in small bits. Cover with a cup or 2 of cheese and then put as much eggs and milk mixture as it takes to cover most of the good stuff, 1 egg to every half cup of milk.  3:1.5 for a regular pie crust, 4:2 for deep dish usually does the trick.

Bake it until the crust smells delicious and the top doesn’t look liquid when you shake it.  Let it sit a bit to cool and finish setting the eggs after you take it out of the oven.

Also, if you are cooking with crab and all you can get is pasteurized, give it a good rinse, first.  This makes a big difference.

Preserved cherries

Recipe in the Washington Post

I think I’ll make some of these and give them to my family who like Manhattans for Xmas.

Summary:

These cherries have a much more complex, sweet-and-savory taste than the jarred, neon-red maraschino cherries you find at the supermarket. Try them in a Manhattan or a Shirley Temple — or just use them to top an ice cream sundae.

The cherries will keep, covered and refrigerated, for about two weeks. Or you may can them for long-term storage: Pack the cherries and juice in hot, sterilized jars and seal according to the manufacturer’s recommendations. Place in a water-bath canner and process for 20 minutes for pint jars.

Makes about 65 cherries

Ingredients:

• 2 pints bing cherries, pitted
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 2 1/4 cups sugar
• Juice of 1 medium lemon
• 1 tablespoon almond extract

Directions:

Place the cherries in a shallow heatproof glass or ceramic bowl.

In a medium saucepan over high heat, combine 1 1/4 cups of the water and the salt. Bring to a boil, stirring until the salt has dissolved. Remove from the heat; allow to cool for 10 minutes, then pour the liquid over the cherries. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Drain the cherries, discarding the liquid, and rinse them with cold water. Wash the bowl in which the cherries were refrigerated and return them to the clean bowl. Set aside.

In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the sugar, lemon juice and remaining 1/4 cup of water. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar, then remove from the heat and add the almond extract. Pour the mixture over the cherries; let cool, then cover and refrigerate overnight, stirring occasionally.

Recipe Source:

From Todd Thrasher of Restaurant Eve in Alexandria.

Tested by Michael Taylor for The Washington Post

Fruit Pie

I did not make the crust.  That came from my co-op.

I had maybe half a cup(?) of sour cherries from my tree, one long stalk of rhubarb and 5 mostly ripe peaches.

This came to probably 2 cups of firm fruit.

I pitted the cherries and left them in halves, cut the rhubarb into a “small dice” and the peach pieces were bite sized. Tossed all the fruit with enough sugar to coat it all without any left in the bottom of the bowl. (maybe1 cup?  maybe less.) I dumped it in the crust and baked it at @ 350°F for @ 1 hour.

Let it cool completely for it to firm up.

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Addendum 6/16.  Chuck found a variation on the theme.    Plum Rhubarb Crisp