Spinach Quiche -- Something Warm and Real to Come Home To

Valentine's Day in the NICU. Ryan brought me a card and two mini Reese's cups from the vending machine down the hall, and I laughed for the first time in two weeks, actually laughed, and he looked so relieved that it made me want to cry. We ate the Reese's sitting between Owen and Nora's incubators and Ryan held my hand and we watched our two tiny babies sleep and I thought: this is the most love I have ever been inside of. All of it at once. It is enormous. It is almost unbearable.

Owen is up to four pounds four ounces. Nora is at four pounds even. Their lungs are getting stronger. They are starting to regulate their own temperatures. The nurses use words like "progressing" and "ahead of schedule" and I write each one down in the notes app on my phone because I need to be able to read them again later when the fear gets loud at 3 AM and I need evidence.

My mom and dad came together today. Steve brought doughnuts from the bakery on the corner, the glazed ones that have been the same since 1987, and we all stood around the incubators eating doughnuts on Valentine's Day and it was one of the strangest and most sacred things I have ever been part of. Patty cried a little. Steve pretended not to notice. Owen kicked his foot against the incubator wall, which the nurse said meant absolutely nothing medically, but which I am counting anyway.

I have been thinking about food in a particular way these two weeks. Not cooking, not recipes, just the meals I want to make when we get home. Babcia Rose's mushroom soup. The chicken and rice soup in the freezer. Something warm that fills a bowl and sits there solid and real. I have been making a list in my head. It is a very long list. It is keeping me sane.

For two weeks I kept a running list in my head of everything I wanted to make when we finally got to bring Owen and Nora home — soups, warm things, food that felt solid and real. Patty had been keeping us going with sandwiches and broth through those long hospital days, and more than once I caught myself thinking about eggs and cheese and something baked, something that fills the whole kitchen with a smell that says you are home now. This spinach quiche is exactly that kind of recipe: simple enough to make when you’re still running on too little sleep, but warm and substantial enough to feel like it means something.

Spinach Quiche

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 45 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour | Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 1 9-inch unbaked pie crust (store-bought or homemade)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil or butter
• 1 small yellow onion, finely diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 5 ounces fresh baby spinach (or 1 cup frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry)
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup shredded Gruyère or Swiss cheese, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven. Heat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Fit the pie crust into a 9-inch pie dish and crimp the edges. Set aside.
2. Sauté the vegetables. Warm the olive oil or butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook for 4–5 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more, until fragrant.
3. Wilt the spinach. Add the fresh spinach to the skillet in batches, stirring until fully wilted, about 2–3 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. If using frozen spinach, simply stir it in and remove from heat. Press out any excess liquid with a paper towel.
4. Make the custard. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, and heavy cream until smooth. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Stir in 3/4 cup of the shredded cheese.
5. Assemble the quiche. Spread the spinach and onion mixture evenly across the bottom of the pie crust. Pour the egg custard over the top. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of cheese over the surface.
6. Bake. Place the quiche on the center rack and bake for 40–45 minutes, until the center is just set and the top is lightly golden. A knife inserted near the center should come out clean.
7. Rest before slicing. Let the quiche rest for at least 10 minutes before cutting. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 380 | Protein: 14g | Fat: 26g | Carbs: 22g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 420mg