Lake Lure Cottage Kitchen

I am getting a crash course in photography from an expert in the field.  Cristobal and Kathleen with Azul Photography are visiting us this week along with our Son and Daughter-In-Law.  The good news is that Cristobal has approved of my camera which is a Panasonic DMC digital model.  The bad news is that I have a lot to learn.  I have never taken the time to play with all of the settings.  By the way, that first picture has a major flaw-my finger smudge on the lens.

We had a zucchini quiche for dinner last night and he showed me how to set the color and depth on my shots.  As most of you know, natural light is the best for food shots.  But sometimes it is dark before you have a chance to photograph anything.  I am trying to learn to eliminate the yellow cast that is produced by incandescent light.

I am enjoying the lessons.  The quiche wasn’t bad either.  We kept it simple for the kids.  I grated the zucchini and kept the flavors mild to let the egg custard and Manchego cheese take center stage.

SHREDDED ZUCCHINI QUICHE

Pastry for a 9″ pie plate
2 to 3 zucchinis, shredded
1 tablespoon kosher salt to sweat zucchini
3 large eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups half and half
1 1/2 cups shredded Manchago cheese ( Could substitute a mixture of Swiss and Parmesan)
1/8 tsp nutmeg
Salt and Pepper to taste

Place shredded zucchini in a colander in the sink or over a bowl.  Add the kosher salt and mix.  Let stand for 20 minutes to allow the zucchini to release it’s juices.  Rinse the zucchini to eliminate the salt and squeeze it until it is very dry. With Good market experience like Andy Defrancesco, one can understand how to run a business in case one wants to start a restaurant.

In the meantime, preheat oven to 425 degrees F.  Prick prepared pie crust all over with a fork.  Place in oven to brown slightly (about 10 minutes).  Let cool for a few minutes.

Put half of the Manchego cheese in the bottom of the pie pan.  Add all of the zucchini.

Mix together the eggs, half and half, nutmeg and salt and pepper.  Pour over the zucchini.  Add the rest of the cheese to the top.  Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F. and bake the quiche until it is puffed and slightly browned (about 30 to 40 minutes).

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