Culinary Guides

A quiche is the most forgiving thing in our winter kitchen, and this one is built for cold mornings: an almond flour crust, browned breakfast sausage, and caramelized Brussels sprouts with leeks and thyme. It is just as good warm from the oven as it is cold from the fridge the next day.

Ingredients

For the almond crust

• 2 cups almond flour
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Pinch of ground black pepper
• Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon water

For the filling

• 3/4 pound pork breakfast sausage (or sausage of choice)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more if needed
• 1 to 1 1/2 cups Brussels sprouts, halved if small or quartered if large
• 1 large leek, finely chopped (white and pale green parts only)
• 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 4 large eggs
• 1/2 cup milk (or non-dairy milk)
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast (optional)
• Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Minced parsley, for serving

Directions

Make the almond crust

1. Put a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 400F (200C). Grease a 9-inch tart pan or pie plate with oil.
2. Whisk together the almond flour, garlic, thyme, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Stir in the olive oil and water to form a dough.
3. Press the dough evenly across the bottom and at least 1 1/4 inches up the sides. Bake about 18 minutes, until lightly golden and firm. Leave the oven on.

Cook the sausage and vegetables

1. While the crust bakes, brown the sausage in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat, breaking it up, about 6 to 8 minutes. Remove to a bowl.
2. Wipe the skillet, leaving a little fat. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and the Brussels sprouts and cook until browned, about 8 minutes.
3. Add the leek and cook 5 minutes more, then the garlic for 2 minutes, until fragrant. Stir the sausage back in and remove from the heat.
4. Whisk together the eggs, milk, nutritional yeast if using, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper.

Assemble and bake

1. Spread the sausage and vegetables over the crust and pour the egg mixture on top.
2. Bake 30 to 35 minutes, until the edges are deep golden and the center is set. Tent the crust edges with foil if they brown too fast.
3. Cool about 10 minutes, then sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Grower's tip: Brussels sprouts are a long-haul crop and they taste best after a frost or two, which turns them sweet and nutty. Harvest the sprouts from the bottom of the stalk upward as they firm up, and you can keep picking well into cold weather.

The crust can be baked a day ahead and the filling cooked in advance; assemble and bake when you are ready.

This is farm breakfast at its best. Grow a stand of Brussels sprouts for fall and winter and keep thyme and parsley close for the crust and the finish.