Normality with a party and a root vegetable quiche

Noooo...not another quiche. Come on, be fair. I'm stuck in a hotel with limited kitchen resources. But, in a scenario not dissimilar to Dawn of the Dead, I currently reside above a shopping mall, complete with a supermarket that stocks ready made quiche shells. I do try and vary the fillings every time for a little excitement and this beauty was no exception. Wandering back from the mall to my hotel room, which requires some stealthy swiping through doors with key cards and imagining zombies on the prowl, I considered all the vegetables I had bought the day before at the farm shop. A plethora of root veg lay before me, bought in the usual child like over excitement of visiting that place. I decided to roast them all with garlic, herbs and butter, then chop them up small and throw them into the shell. What resulted was a true Autumnal tart, full of earthy, sweet flavours of beet and carrot and silky textures of long roasted eggplants and zucchini.

It went down a treat at our 'get together' that evening, designed to try and lift us from the bizarre situation we find ourselves in. Eight friends helped us to feel slightly normal that night. We can still host parties, even if we have only 2 wine glasses and had to squirrel away all the saucers we receive chocolates on daily to use as plates.

Recipe : Root vegetable quiche

1 bought tart shell or your own homemade pastry shell 

4 cups of mixed root vegetables, chopped into rough chunks.  

(Here you can let the seasons dictate what you use. I had tiny potatoes, yellow and orange carrots, pale purple eggplants, slim leeks, 1 yellow zucchini, 2 golden beets, 1 onion and 2 cloves of garlic. I also intended to use a beautiful golden Kobachi squash I had picked up, but the hotel knives wouldn't cut through it, so it remained as decoration).

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

a large sprinkling of salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tsp dried oregano

2 tsp butter

3 eggs

1/4 cup whipping cream

1/2 cup grated hard cheese, (I used Grano Padano)

Heat the oven to 400oF and lay all the vegetables, potatoes and garlic cloves in a single layer. Drizzle with the oil, sprinkle with the salt, pepper, oregano and dot the butter all over. Roast in the oven for at least an hour until all the vegetables are soft.

Transfer everything to a piece of kitchen towel on a chopping board and top with another piece of towel. Squeeze gently to remove as much oil as possible and then chop the vegetables into small, even pieces before tipping into the quiche shell. (Follow instructions on the back of the shell case, you will probably have to bake it for 15 minutes before filling).

Break the eggs into a bowl, add the cream and half the cheese and mix well with a whisk until frothy. Pour this mixture over the veg, ensuring it covers everything well and then sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. Bake for about 40 minutes until a knife inserted into the centre comes out clean. Serve warm or cold, cut into wedges for a party or halves or quarters for dinner.

The guest of honour