Farmers Market Quiche

* This post has been compensated through the AE Dairy Blog Ambassador program.  All views and opinions shared are my own. *

One of my favorite things to do each summer is visit Farmers Markets.  If you live in Iowa, there is a good chance that you have one close by.  In fact, Iowa ranks second in the number of farmers markets per capita.  While I love exploring some of the larger city farmers markets like Des Moines or Clear Lake, my favorite one to go to is my local Franklin County Farmers Market.

The Franklin County Farmers Market
in Hampton, Iowa, August 2016

The Franklin County Farmers Market takes place every Tuesday and Friday from 5 to 7 p.m. from May through October at the Main Street Square in Hampton, located on the corner of 1st Avenue NW and 1st Street NW.  There are up to ten different vendors at the market who sell products that range from fresh produce, baked goods, jams and jellies, honey and flowers and plants.  August is one of my favorite times to travel to the Farmers Market because there is a large variety of vendors and produce available.  But I love visiting all season long to support my community.  Even though I plant my own garden, the Farmers Market offers a diverse collection of produce from what I grow at home and it always leaves me inspired.

After visiting the Franklin County Farmers Market last week, I was inspired to come home and make a delicious breakfast with the variety of vegetables I bought.  I don't know what it is about Farmers Markets but my first instinct is always to make something fresh and delicious for breakfast with my finds.  

Some of my produce finds
from the Franklin County Farmers Market

In order to make these vegetables into a savory breakfast I decided to create a quiche.  To start your quiche, you have to start with a good base, and by good base, I mean my recipe for lard crust!

A lard crust is the best base for any type of pie or quiche!

Then it's time for the filling!  I decided what would really bring my egg-based filling up a notch, and add that creamy texture and richness I was looking for, would be to include AE Dairy's Heavy Whipping Cream.  AE's Whipping Cream adds to the freshness of the dish, and helps makes the filling nice and smooth.  Just like how my Farmers Market veggies were freshly picked that day by the vendors, in less than 24 hours, the raw milk at AE dairy is changed into any number of AE's product line and is on its way to your local grocery store.

Besides being a quality product, I love how AE Dairy's
Heavy Whipping Cream comes in the perfect Half Pint sized container

To top it off, my inner pig farmer had to shine, so I added a bacon lattice!

Oh, yeah!  Give me some BACON!

So are you ready for the recipe?

Have I tempted you long enough?

Well, without further ado...

Farmers Market Quiche

9" Pie Crust

1/2 large Zucchini, cut into 14 slices

1/2 Onion, chopped

12 Cherry Tomatoes, halved

1/2 Green Pepper, chopped

2 cloves Garlic, grated

6 Eggs

1 cup (Half Pint) of AE Dairy's Heavy Whipping Cream

1 cup shredded Cheddar Cheese

8-10 slices of Bacon

Salt and Pepper

Prepare Pie Crust and place in pie plate or quiche pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes with foil or pie crust shield.  Then press down crust and bake additional 2 minutes with no crust shield.

While crust is baking, saute Zucchini slices with butter, salt and pepper.  After crust is baked, place 7 slices of Zucchini evenly on the bottom of the pie crust.

Mix Eggs and Whipping Cream.  Stir in Onion, Tomatoes, Pepper, Garlic and Cheese to egg mixture.  Pour filling into pie crust.  Place the final 7 slices of Zucchini on top of the quiche.

Bake quiche at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes.  

Take quiche out and assemble the Bacon lattice.  Don't be afraid if the bacon lays over the sides of the quiche as it will shrink some in the baking.  Place the quiche with bacon lattice back in the oven at 450 degrees F for an additional 15 minutes.  Place a baking sheet under the pie plate or quiche pan to collect bacon grease.

Slice and enjoy!

I love the layers of flavor in this quiche.  The crust, the veggies, the eggs with whipping cream, and the bacon all blend so well, and at the same time give bursts of new flavors in each bite.  I hope you get inspired by your local farmers market and make this quiche soon for breakfast (or dinner or supper...) soon!

Have you attended a Farmers Market this year?  What is you favorite thing to buy at the Farmers Market?  What's your favorite way to use Whipping Cream?  Remember to Comment for a Cause!

Celebrate with Easy Hot Fudge Sauce

* This post has been compensated through the AE Dairy Blog Ambassador program.  All views and opinions shared are my own. *

Yesterday was a big day for our family, our oldest son, LP, headed off to Pre-K!  And one fun fact for you, LP's Pre-K teacher is the same Pre-K teacher that his Dad, My Farmer, had twenty-six years ago!

He will have school every afternoon.  A school van picks him up at our house before noon and then one of his favorite parts - he gets to ride the school bus on the way home.  One of his friends, who is in an older grade, rides the same bus, so it sounds like they had a lot of fun playing together on the way home from school.

LP coming home from his first day of school on the bus
and our dog Bailey waiting patiently

Growing up I was always excited for the first day of school and I was happy that LP had the same feeling that I always did.  The one first day of school tradition I always remember was taking a first day of school photo, so we did a few of those.  LP even had fun taking some photos with our dog and striking some super hero poses.

Other than first day of school photos before hopping on the bus, I don't remember too much more for first day traditions.  But for our little guy I thought it'd be fun to let him to choose supper for the evening (which he chose pancakes and eggs) and to whip up some Easy Hot Fudge Sauce so we could have some ice cream sundaes for dessert.  (I know, what a meal - pancakes, eggs and ice cream...)

Easy Hot Fudge Sauce

1 cup AE Dairy Heavy Whipping Cream
1 cup Sugar
2/3 cup Cocoa Powder, unsweetened
1 pinch Salt

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly.  Boil for 3 minutes, stirring, then remove from heat.  Let sauce cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Makes 1 cup of sauce.

This is such a simple treat to make the next time you celebrate a special occasion, like the first day of school.  It is creamy, rich, and tastes o' so good.  Warning - once you start making homemade hot fudge sauce, you're family will always ask for it when you have ice cream ;)

What first day of school traditions did you have growing up or that you celebrate with your family?  Remember to Comment for a Cause!