March is still lion-ing, no sign of that lamb at all, though we have entered Aries… Most of the snow melted in a day of cold rain which filled the rivers to just shy of flood stage. The next day it froze and covered the ground in white, which melted by the end of the day. Temperatures are swinging between the mid-50s (°F) to low teens each day. And the wind is ferocious, too strong even for kite flying. Dust, heavy with road salt, is thrown into your face no matter which way you walk. All the flash-frozen limbs and twigs are cracking noisily, keeping us up all night, fretting about broken windows and downed power lines and worse catastrophes. My poor cedars look crunchy in the morning. I am concerned about them.
On the other hand, there are snowdrops, and on the vernal equinox some of the crocuses valiantly poked through the leaf litter to purple the garden. The basement garden staging arena is also starting to sport sprouts. I have bells of ireland and sweet peas, purple sweet basil and heirloom cauliflower. The leeks seeds are cracking open and unfurling into thin white snakes. And there is one lone cherry tomato. None of the peppers are showing any signs of life, but I’m not going to worry yet. Takes weeks to get those seeds going even with heat mats and grow lights and constant misting of the soil surface. My experience is that right when you resolve to plant something else in the starter pots, the peppers will germinate and instantly grow three inches. Maybe I should threaten them with broccoli seed packets… though I think they can feel my intention and know when I am faking. Because plants are wily, you know. And anyway, who would choose broccoli over chiles…
But broccoli does go nicely with my main spring fare: quiches and veg casseroles and many varieties of creamy potato soup. You will notice that I eat eggs and dairy in Lent. I do so without any sense of guilt. In fact, I don’t tend to give up real foods for Lent because I already don’t eat much that isn’t abundant where I live. (I do follow my cultural traditions and cut out the fatty, sugary junk.) I feel that the goal of fasting is either body-abnegation, which is just stupid, or reducing your intake in times of scarcity so that everyone can have enough. With a pantry and freezer full of food and plenty of winter growers in central Vermont, plus the ubiquitous dairy and eggs — which, touch wood, are still largely untouched by the ravages of modern agriculture — there is no scarcity here. So I don’t eat less, though I do eat differently. Which is true all year long. My diet shifts based on what is plentiful right here, right now.
Broccoli freezes well, as do all the brassicas, though cabbage itself turns into mush and is only good for soup or mash when it comes out of the freezer. (Good being relative…) So if you grow broccoli, or if you find extra broccoli in the CSA box, freeze it for early spring. It makes a delicious quiche, and broccoli-cheddar soup is just the perfect foil to the violent temperature fluctuations of March.
But even if you do give up eggs for Lent, this weekend is Mothering Sunday, Refreshment Sunday, a day to relax the rules of fasting halfway through Lent. So this is a weekend to eat quiche, and I’ve provided a general recipe — though if you’ve given up eggs because of the sky-rocketing costs of bird flu then maybe you’ll want to come up with some other matrix. I suspect potato mash stiffened with some form of protein coagulant — cheese or bean paste or thick nut butter — would make a very fine pie.
This recipe uses half a dozen eggs, a productive way to cope with the voluminous early rounds of egg-laying from your hens. (I think egg-painting and the various eggy games of Easter are as much about just using up this glut any which way as about being anything symbolically meaningful.) I also used a pre-made pie crust, found in the freezer section of my food co-op. Most grocery stores will have some version of this, though it can be difficult to them find locally produced. Most of these crusts come in packs of two because it’s more efficient to make two pies at once — and often you need two. So if you are feeding a family (or a teenager), then double the recipe below. Otherwise, make one pie and keep the other crust in the freezer for later. You can also freeze this whole pie, so it makes sense to make two pies and freeze one. In fact, my freezer is still full of quiches I made last year… all I have to do is heat them up.
Spring Quiche
Ingredients
3-4 Tbs butter
4 medium shallots, minced
3 large cloves garlic, minced
8-10 leaves kale, washed well & chopped
(I used Winterbor.)
up to 1/4 cup marsala cooking wine
2-3 tsp pink salt, coarsely ground
6 eggs
1 cup shredded sheep's milk cheese
(I used Vermont Shepherd Invierno.)
1 9" pie crust (your own or pre-made)
Herb mix
1 tsp French thyme
1/2 tsp marjoram
1/2 tsp winter savory
1/4 tsp chervil
1/8 tsp white pepper
Yes, I appreciate the irony of a spring quiche made with winter kale and winter cheese…
Instructions
Peel and mince the shallots and garlic.
Wash the kale very well. (Dirt loves to cling to those wrinkles). Chop it coarsely.
Melt the butter over medium heat.
Sauté the shallots until they are translucent but not browned.
Add the garlic and kale.
Pour the marsala wine over the veg and sprinkle with coarsely ground salt of some special variety.
Turn the heat to low and let the kale wilt in the pan, stirring occasionally.
Shred the cheese into a large bowl.
Add the eggs and beat together.
Add herb mix. I’ve suggested amounts, but use what you like. You might also use other herbs. Parsley and chives go very well in this recipe; I just don’t have any fresh right now.
When the kale is mostly wilted and somewhat dark, take the pan off the heat.
Let it cool a bit and then add to the egg mixture. Beat this all together well.
Pour into a 9″ pie crust, of your own making or pre-made.
Bake in the lower part of the oven at 350°F for one hour.
It is done when it is browned and firm.
Let it set a bit before cutting and serving.
If you have extra kale, toss it with capers, thinly sliced red onion, toasted hazelnuts and a vinaigrette dressing. Serve this as a side salad. Goes very well with a crusty wheat bread.
©Elizabeth Anker 2025
By My Solitary Hearth 