thepassionatecook: Last picnic - roast vegetable quiche and a spinach, peach & blue cheese salad

Mousse of smoked trout was only a starter in the picnic feast we laid out for friends last weekend. Unfortunately the lovely Cassandra had to drive her Mum down to Cornwall, missing out on a lot of beautiful vegetarian dishes I had dreamed up for her... an artichoke, roast red pepper and parmesan quiche and a very exciting salad prepared with spinach, gorgonzola, pistachios and peaches. I find quiche a perfect thing for a picnic, it's very versatile and you can throw in whatever you have at hand, really, and it tastes just as good served cold or at room/outside temperature. I always prepare it the night before and let it rest in the fridge, so it will properly set and will not fall into pieces when you cut it in slices or cubes or whatever shape takes your fancy.
The spinach lends itself for a picnic salad as it won't wilt as quickly as lettuce, however, it is advisable to take the salad ingredients in one container and the dressing in another and only combine at the last minute. For this salad I prepared the vinaigrette pretty much as I always do: mustard (a dijon mustard with seaweed in this case, which I bought on our recent vacation in Brittany), my very special herb paste (Italian mix), olive oil from Spain and an apricot-infused red wine vinegar to go with the peaches. A lovely transition mix with the last peaches in the shops and the gorgonzola ringing in the colder months!

Artichoke, red pepper and parmesan quiche
(yields 8 slices)

375 shortcrust pastry
8 eggs
284 ml double cream
85 ml milk
150 g parmesan (finely grated)
300 g roast artichokes
100 g roast red peppers
2 tbsp capers
nutmeg and black pepper to season

Spread the pastry in a lightly greased quiche form and blind bake for 10 minutes. Remove the baking beans and paper and continue to bake uncovered for another 5 minutes. Take out and leave to cool. Keep the oven warm at 220 C.
In the meantime, cut your vegetables in bite-size portions and combine the eggs, milk and cream. Beat thoroughly, then stir in the parmesan and season.
Lay the vegetables out on the pastry, pour in the egg & cream mix and pop in the pre-heated oven to bake for ca. 30 minutes or until the egg mix has set and the top of the quiche is turning brown. Remove and leave to rest, 10 minutes if you want to serve immediately or let cool down completely before putting in the fridge.

Spinach, peach, gorgonzola and pistachio salad
(serves 8 as a side)

400 g young spinach leaves
3 peaches (cut in eigths)
2 handfuls pistachio nuts
200 g gorgonzola (cut in cubes)

For the dressing:
1 level tsp dijon mustard
½ tsp herb paste (I mix fresh herbs with salt and olive oil to conserve them in a jar in the fridge)
3 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp vinegar (I used a sweet apricot-infused wine vinegar, but balsamico works fine, too)

Wash the spinach leaves and dry thoroughly in a salad spinner. Prepare all the salad ingredients in a bowl, then mix the dressing. Pour over and combine just before serving.