August 1st 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 upon 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 orange colored fruit. Time to harvest, and good thing too, as I have 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 one half being made as homemade salsa, the other half 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, 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, do not cheat yourself from the now.
In my previous article of August 2, 2023, I wrote about how to bake a cake in a microwave. I did mention that this was an alternative, in case the oven went kaput. Well, the universe must have read my article, and 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 being fixed once already, and this was a sign that it wanted to be put to rest. However, a dish, that Roy enjoys with freshly harvested vegetables, is a savory quiche, but it needed to be baked in an oven, or did it? Time to get the ingredients together, take out a microwave safe casserole bowl, and convert a recipe of a baked dish, to a microwaveable one.
As I stated before, this is a savory quiche, but can still be a lovely dish to serve for breakfast, lunch, dinner, lunch, or bring to a social get-together. It is crustless which means gluten free. With some vegetarians, they still use milk and egg products, so they will enjoy this recipe. Vegans? I am very positive they can convert my recipe to satisfy their taste buds, while keeping to 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)
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 3-quart microwave safe dish with melted butter, or the spray.
Mix together vegetables, salt, pepper, celery seed and thyme; spread evenly in coated dish.
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. Did not have a garden this year? Make sure to check for notices on local farmers’ markets, as some grow more than they can personally handle.
Mary Cokenour
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