morning tricks: a story of kale + gruyere quiche

Yesterday morning began harrowed, everyone impatient and on guard, like the friction of too many short notes held together. Even on my best mornings those emotions can be exhausting to direct, but on this morning I too felt myself sucked in, hands in the air. It wasn’t even 8am. Years down this homeschooling and motherhood road I’ve learned a few tricks for moments like these, ways to recover ourselves before we say or do things we regret. I say tricks because sometimes leading my children is also a provision for myself; sometimes I am the one needing to recover.

At any other time in the day, I might send the kids outdoors to play and release their emotion into larger spaces. A house isn’t intended to hold every part of us after all. This is the purpose of windows and doors. Yet it was early. We were still in PJs, struggling through our morning routine, and the day itself appeared overcast and shadowy. We prayed together as a family, each plainly acknowledging our hearts and emotions, and then we began our day again.

Burke asked to make everyone quiche for breakfast, and I almost reflexively said no. We were behind our usual routine, and I knew a quiche would set us a bit farther from our intentions for the day. Gratefully, I paused long enough to remember sometimes the most important thing that happens in a day isn’t the one on the list. I said yes instead. We grabbed a couple of frozen pie crusts in the freezer. Although I prefer handmade crusts, having a couple of frozen baked goods on hand can work as a practical trick of its own in a pinch. I turned on instrumental music, gathered our current poetry book and morning read-a-loud, and an hour later, we were laughing together again, gushing over peeled citrus and warm quiche. We improvised the rest of the day for our delayed start, for our hour well-spent.

Kale + Gruyere Quiche

• 1 pie crusts, pre-made or made ahead of time
• 6 eggs
• .5 cup heavy cream
• 1.5 cup shredded gruyere cheese
• 3-4 large kale leaves, washed, chopped + stems removed, about 2 cups (omit for a simple cheese quiche, also pictured)
• 1 large shallot, chopped (optional)
• 1 tsp. sea salt
• black pepper

Preheat the oven to 375 F. Sauté the shallots over medium heat in a bit of oil or butter until translucent. Using a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, salt, and pepper well. Layer the cheese and shallots in the pie crust. Add the fresh kale, covering the cheese and shallots. Pour the egg mixture over the kale to the rim of the pie crust. Kale will be sticking out a bit, but should be mostly covered. (You may have extra egg mixture leftover.) Bake 30-40 minutes, until the quiche is golden and puffed up. Allow to cool before serving.

*ADDITIONAL NOTES: If you prefer not to have your kale crispy at the top of the quiche, add it to the pan of shallots and sauté until it softens. The bake time and quantity of egg mixture will vary based on the type and size of the crust.