From Nourished: A Memoir of Cooking and the Arts, by Marilyn Raff

Cook and Prep. Time: 90 minutes     /     Serves 4

• 6 eggs, lightly mixed
• 1 ½ cups heavy cream or half and half
• 2 cups chopped fresh spinach, packed medium-tight. Frozen spinach works too, but cook it half way through, then squeeze out the moisture.
• ½ – ¾ lb. bacon, cooked medium crisp, roughly crumbled
• 2 cups Swiss cheese, grated
• 1  9- inch frozen pie crust, partially thawed, flattened and spread gently into a 9-inch pie plate
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp pepper

1) Combine eggs, cream, salt and pepper in a food processor.Pulse several times until well-mixed. Set aside. Preheat the oven to 375°F. 

2) Separately, in the pan with the pie crust, lay out the spinach first, next the bacon, and finally top with the cheese. Press down gently.

3) Pour the egg mixture over all.

4) Bake for 40-45 minutes until the eggs are set, and the crust turns pale golden.

5) Cool 10-15 minutes.  Serve at room temperature or warm.

Tips and Tweaks:

• For mild onion flavor, cut 3-4 scallions in ½ inch pieces, add them to the egg mixture. Stir gently before poured  over the cheese. 

• For spice, add ½ teaspoon each of cumin, cilantro and basil to the egg mixture. For a hint of licorice, add ½ teaspoon of tarragon, as well as ½ teaspoon marjoram. 

• Replace the spinach with  kale or Swiss chard. If using chard, cut out tough stems, and the ribs.  Kale is good, but slightly bitter. If you use these vegetables—  broccoli, cauliflower, or mushrooms, blanch them beforehand for about 5-7 minutes since they need to cook longer than the spinach. The mushrooms will not need as much blanching as the broccoli and cauliflower. Also, slice the broccoli, cauliflower, and mushrooms in 1/4-inch thick pieces after they cook, so they lay nicely in the pan. Press them down slightly. If you use these or other vegetables be careful not to fill the bottom of the pan too full, otherwise you will not have enough room for the cheese and egg mixture to fit comfortably  without it spilling over.