Dark Days Challenge Week Twelve

You have to love a group that allows you to drop out, but still invites you to their parties! The concept of cooking one entirely local meal each week went by the wayside for my family about a month ago, but I was remotivated when the host of the challenge, Laura from (not so) Urban Hennery, invited all the local Dark Days Challengers to her farm.

I ended up taking a Portabello mushroom quiche. I was excited for the chance to make an egg dish - since my son is allergic to eggs, we never have quiche for a meal. It was very yummy and provided me with a chance to make my first-ever homemade pie crust. I made it with brown rice flour, which I realize isn't the norm, but it was the only local flour I had on hand and actually it turned out quite well. Recipes are below.

I took the boys along for the Dark Days Potluck and they had fun roaming the farm and meeting the chickens, horses, and Jake the Lab. Stephen got to go in the coop to pick out the fresh eggs and I loved his comment - "They're warm!" Talk about fresh! Ryan managed not to electrocute himself while running his hand along the horse fence - thanks Laura for turning it off in advance!

The eggs were four different colors and we got an education from Laura on what determines their eggshell color. It's the color of their ears! Ok, I'll admit my first thought was...Chickens have ears? I didn't necessarily think they were deaf, but I hadn't given a lot of thought to their ears - turns out they have little ear holes and they are different colors. Who knew?!? The four eggs Stephen pulled out ranged from pink to speckled brown. There are green ones as well (from the Araucana chickens), but we didn't see one. That would have been fun - real green eggs and ham! Look closely at the one below and I think you can see his ears - tan eggs, maybe?

Thanks Laura for opening your home and farm to us!

Portabello Mushroom Quiche

The filling was adapted from a zucchini recipe on recipezarr and the crust recipe came from Chaotic Cooking

Quiche Filling Ingredients

1 portabello mushroom

1 medium onion, chopped

3 T butter

1/2 pound sharp cheddar, grated

1/4 pound swiss, grated

1/4 pound ham, chopped

5 eggs beaten

1/2 c. half-and-half

1T flour

1/4 t salt

pepper

Quiche Crust Ingredients

1 cup brown rice flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 large egg, slightly beaten
1/4 cup butter, cut into small pieces
3 tsp cold water

Crust Directions: Put flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Add cold butter pieces and use a fork or pastry knife to mix them into the dry ingredients. Add the egg and water and stir until sticky. Use a piece of waxed paper with rice flour on it to roll the dough out on. Then, turn the piece of waxed paper upside down into the pie pan. Cover the crust with aluminum foil and bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes.

Filling Directions: Saute onions in butter. Mix together onion, cheese, and ham. Add the remaining ingredients. Mix well. Pour into crust. Cook at 350 for 35 minutes.