Pastured Bacon / Raw Blue Cheese Quiche

Background info: Salted pork appears in archaeological evidence dating back to around 6,600 BCE in China; it later spread to the Roman Empire and beyond. Prior to the Industrial Revolution, most pork came from local family farms which raised a wide variety of heritage pig breeds. Heritage breeds produce bacon (and other nutritious foods, like lard) with a deeper, richer flavor than those favored by conventional producers. And, in addition to being better tasting, pastured bacon also provides more nutrients, such as the anti-inflammatory fatty acids EPA and DHA.

– Price-Pottenger

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Ingredients

6 strips of pasture-raised bacon, cut into small pieces
2 large shallots, minced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
Several fresh basil leaves, cut into thin ribbons
4 pasture-raised eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup pastured raw cream
⅓ cup raw blue cheese, broken into small chunks
¼ teaspoon unrefined sea salt
Pepper to taste
1 9-inch Sprouted Spelt Pie Crust

Directions

Preheat oven to 375° F.

Saute bacon pieces in a heavy skillet, then add shallots, garlic, basil, salt, and pepper and cook until fragrant.

Mix eggs and cream. Spread bacon mixture over the bottom of the pie shell and top with blue cheese chunks. Pour egg mixture into pie shell and bake 40-45 minutes until custard is set.

Allow to cool before serving to maintain integrity of the slices. Serve with a dollop of crème fraîche.

Sprouted Spelt Pie Crust

(Makes a 9-inch single pie crust)

Ingredients

1⅛ cup sprouted spelt flour*
⅓ cup chilled pastured butter or lard (or a combination of both)
2 tablespoons ice water
½ teaspoon unrefined sea salt if unsalted butter is used

Directions

Sift flour into a mixing bowl and discard excess bran (there may be as much as ⅛ of a cup). Cut the butter/lard into small chunks and sprinkle over flour. Working quickly so that the fat will remain chilled, use a pastry cutter or your fingers to incorporate it into the flour. You want the fat in fairly large chunks throughout the dough to make a flaky crust.

Sprinkle the ice water over the flour mixture and turn with a wooden spoon or your fingers until a dough is formed.

Roll the dough immediately on a lightly floured board.

* Available from To Your Health Sprouted Flour Company, www.organicsproutedflour.net.

About the Author

Annie Dru attended the University of California, San Diego, and has studied the art of human nutrition for the past 25 years. She teaches a local series of classes on food preparation based on the research of Weston A. Price, DDS. She has lectured at San Diego State University and the University of California, Santa Barbara. Annie was drawn to the work of Dr. Price when confronted with her own life-threatening illness. After years of exploring macrobiotics, vegetarianism, and various fad diets, she regained her health by following the principles gleaned from his research. Annie’s DVD, Easy to Make Lacto-Fermented Foods, is available from PPNF.

Check out these other Annie Dru recipes:

Lacto-fermented Carrots with Ginger

Pecan Pesto

Pesto Beef Heart Lettuce Rolls

Smoked Salmon / Confetti Cream Cheese

Stuffed Squash Blossoms