Rebirthday Quiche
So far I have focused a lot on people who have already died. Today, I’d like to talk a little bit about people who are in the process of actively dying (pssst this is actually all of us on some level). Since I am currently sitting in a hotel in downtown Seattle with the lovely Christina Andreola, who has been bouncing from her phone to laptop all day like a funeral director extraordinaire, I thought I’d pour myself a glass of convenient store wine and sit down to write.
I wanted to find inspiration for my posts from Seattle and thought that perhaps this would be a more difficult challenge. Turns out Seattle, is awash with beauty, food, and death.
For the post I’ll be focusing on one amazing human, Caroline Wright.
In an amazing article from Kitchn, Caroline writes how she had just turned in her third cookbook when she found out about her brain tumor. She had mistakenly thought that the unusual behavior and headaches were attributed to moving, having a looming book deadline, and the stress of all of that while taking care of two boys under the age of four.
After her surgery she found out that not only did she have cancer, but she had glioblastoma, “or otherwise known in some circles as The Terminator for its merciless treatment of its patients and 100% recurrence rate.” She was sent home with a very aggressive treatment plan that included heavy radiation, a year of chemotherapy, and very little hope.
Miraculously Caroline made it past the one-year mark that doctors had told her she more than likely would not live to see. She writes that she “was not just living, but truly alive,” and this is how the anniversary of her craniotomy became known in her house as her “rebirthday,” for it was the day that birthed the person she sees in the mirror today, “a reluctant warrior who became strong at her weakest point.”
She writes that she had “managed somehow to smile in the face of certain death, open to it with trembling, welcoming arms, and found the embrace of a supportive community instead.”
For her “rebirthday” in 2019, Caroline whips up a feast for her family and friends, with quiche as the shining star of the table. I too am a fan of quiche for the reason that it’s this beautiful savory dish that somehow manages to walk the line of both a breakfast and a dinner item
Caroline finishes her touching piece by writing that it is there that, she opened her doors and ushered in her community, the dining table filled with offerings that are still only food at a party until they show up.
“Their love shown in their presence, in that moment as it was years ago, transforms the space, each other, my collection of quiche and dip and punch. Just like that, in the glow of community, we are all reborn. Together.”
If you would like to read the full piece you can here.
Rebirthday Quiche
1/2 cups cashews
16 oz Firm Tofu
1 tablespoon mustard
1 x 9″ pie crust packaged or make your own
50g non-dairy butter
50 g All Purpose flour and 50 g pastry flour
Pinch of salt
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 cup broccoli, finely chopped
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp tarragon
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 dozen (approx) cherry tomatoes, halved
Shredded non dairy cheddar cheese (I use Daiya)
Directions
preheat the oven to 350° F
While the oven is heating up, put the cashews into a food processor and pulse until you have crumbs
Drain tofu and lightly press out as much water as you can with either a tofu press or by placing it between two plates with some paper towels to soak up the water.
Add the tofu and mustard to the food processor and pulse until the mixture is smooth and creamy
At this point, your oven should be warm, poke a few holes in the pie crust with a fork and put it into the oven for 10 minutes, then remove from the oven and fill as indicated below.
Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat
Add the onion and garlic and saute for 4 minutes, until tender and translucent
Add the broccoli, thyme, turmeric, tarragon, salt, and pepper to the pan and cook for 10 minutes, until broccoli is soft
Add 1 cup of the broccoli mixture to the food processor and pulse a few times to combine
Place the food processor mixture into a large bowl and combine with the broccoli mixture in the pan, stirring to combine well. Add 1/2 a cup of cheddar cheese to mix to and stir to incorporate if desired.
Scoop the mixture into the pie crust, and smooth the top with a spatula. Top with another 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese and press lightly into the top with the spatula.
Place the halved cherry tomatoes on top of the quiche and place into the oven back for 40 minutes, until the crust is browning and the middle is piping hot.
Enjoy with a salad or on its own!