The Reunion

Remember reading about my Italy trip? If not, you can read all about it here .

During the trip, I enjoyed the company of four other chaperones and three of the four got together today for a reunion brunch before one of our crew moved to Florida (don’t worry….we’ll visit!). We missed our cohort...but he will, no doubt, read all about our antics!

Our hostess graciously welcomed us into her absolutely lovely home and we had a blast reviewing photos, reminiscing about the trip and fantasizing about going back …it was a very pleasant mid-morning.

The delightfully set table, complete with freshly cut hydrangeas, welcomed a delicious Tomato Quiche (perfect for the Italian reunion), fruit salad and Creamy Berry Scones.

Aren’t friends wonderful?

Best of Show Tomato Quiche
(from tasteofhome.com)

Crust Ingredients
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/3 cup shortening
4 to 5 tablespoons cold water


FILLING:
2 cups chopped plum tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 eggs
1 cup evaporated milk

Directions
In a small bowl, combine the first four ingredients. Cut in shortening until crumbly. Add water, tossing with a fork until dough forms a ball. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to fit a 9-in. pie plate; transfer pastry to plate. Trim to 1/2 in. beyond edge of plate; flute edges. Bake at 375° for 10 minutes. Cool completely.

Place tomatoes in the crust; sprinkle with salt, basil, pepper, onions and cheeses. In a small bowl, whisk the flour, eggs and milk until smooth. Pour over filling.

Bake at 375° for 40-45 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting.

Creamy Berry Scones
2 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon of salt
½ cup raspberries or blueberries or blackberries or cherries, etc…
1 Tablespoon of zest - lemon, lime, orange, grapefruit, etc…
1½ cup heavy cream
Sugar to sprinkle

Mix dry ingredients, fruit (or fruits) and zest (or zests) of choice together. Add 1¼ cup of heavy cream (a bit at a time) and stir with a fork until a biscuit-like dough forms. RESIST the urge to add more cream! Knead the dough a few times and press it into a ball. Break on into golf-ball size pieces of dough and flatten each onto a cookie sheet with bit of space between them for baking. You should get about 12 scones, depending on size. Brush the top of each scone with a bit of the leftover cream and sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 350° for 15-17 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Enjoy!