First harvest of August and a microwave quiche

August first is known as the first of two harvests, this date chosen primarily for being between the summer solstice and autumn equinox. Lughnasadh, or Lughnasa, are the Gaelic names of this Middle Ages holiday celebrated in Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Man.
Named after the god Lugh, it was celebrated with horse racing, athletic competitions, trading, feasts, and, for those within marriageable ages, matchmaking.
Once Christianity had a strong hold on the people, the holiday was renamed as Lammas (Old English for “loaf mass day”). The first harvest included wheat, and the first loaf made was brought to church to be blessed.
Looking outside my window, as I take a break from typing on the keyboard, I see the apricot tree and its bounty of deep orangecolored fruit. Time to harvest, and good thing too, as I’ve seen many an apricot cake recipe that interests me.
Of course there was a bounty of Roma tomatoes, juicy red round tomatoes, yellow squash, and multi-colored peppers to collect as well. The tomatoes were divided up with half becoming homemade salsa and half becoming a rich pasta sauce.
The larger of the squash was sliced and frozen but the smaller ones were saved for a special recipe. The same will happen to the peppers. They’ll be sliced and diced, but not all will be frozen.
While cultivating, growing, and harvesting is an excellent way to have your favorite vegetables and fruits for the winter time, don’t cheat yourself in the present.
In my August 2, 2023 article I wrote about how to bake a cake in a microwave. I did mention that it’s an alternative in case the oven goes kaput. Well, the universe must have read my article because guess what?
Just so happens the gas oven went kaput, but a new one will be delivered soon from Knowles of Moab. The old gas range was almost 15 years old. The oven had previously been repaired, so this was a sign that it wanted to be put to rest.
A dish Roy enjoys with freshly harvested vegetables is a savory quiche. Unfortunately a working oven is needed for that...or is it?
Time to get the ingredients together, take out a microwavesafe casserole bowl, and convert a recipe from a baked dish to a microwaveable one.
As I stated before, this is a savory quiche, but it can still be a lovely dish to serve for breakfast, lunch, or dinner or to bring to a social get-together. It’s crustless which means gluten free.
Vegetarians who use milk and egg products will enjoy this recipe. Vegans can convert my recipe to satisfy their taste buds while maintaining their diet regime.
Microwave Crustless Quiche
Ingredients:
2 Tbsp. of melted butter; or butter flavored nonstick spray
6 baby yellow squash (2 to 3 inches in length), thinly sliced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced (a cayenne pepper will work too)
¼ of small onion, diced
1 small red bell pepper (or 2 mini-sized), seeded and diced
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. ground black pepper
¼ tsp. dried celery seed
1 tsp. dried, crushed thyme
6 large eggs
1 cup 2% milk
Preparation:
Coat the bottom and sides of a deep three-quart microwave-safe dish with melted butter or the spray.
Mix together vegetables, salt, pepper, celery seed, and thyme; spread evenly in coated dish.
Whisk together eggs and milk; pour over top of vegetables, moving slightly with a spatula to make sure liquid gets between the vegetables and flows to the bottom.
Microwave in increments of three minutes for a total of nine minutes. First three minutes, the top will begin to firm up. Second three minutes, the sides will firm up. Third three minutes will firm up the center and bottom. Remove bowl from microwave and rest for five minutes.
Carefully tip the bowl, use a spatula for guidance, and allow the quiche to slide onto a serving dish. Cut into triangles with a sharp knife and use a pie server to keep that beautiful shape.
Makes 8 servings.
While working on the bounty of your first harvest, be it freezing, dehydrating, or canning, treat yourself or others by creating some delicious recipes to enjoy immediately.
Didn’t have a garden this year? Check for notices on local farmers’ markets, as some grow more than they can personally handle.