The residency.
FELICITY CLOAKE
Food writer in residence No 7
PHOTOGRAPHS GARETH MORGANS FOOD STYLING LOTTIE COVELL STYLING DAVINA PERKINS
QUICHE GETS A MAKEOVER Cheddar and nutmeg custard tart
“June is my favourite month of the year, and not just because my birthday falls at its end (hint, hint). After the sunshine and showers of spring, this is when summer starts in earnest; it’s finally safe to go out without a coat, yet the world is still young, green and lovely. Shops and menus are filled with home-grown treasures – the last of the British asparagus crop, new potatoes, strawberries and tender broad beans the size of a baby’s fingernail – and there’s a freshness in the air, a sense of holidays to come. It’s also the ideal moment to fill the hamper and head for the green hills, before the grass turns to straw and the wasps come out in force.
To be frank, I love eating outdoors all year round – ham baguettes and icy Orangina on a ski lift in February, a hunk of fruitcake on a rainy autumn walk – but while fresh air is indeed the best sauce, food tastes all the sweeter when eaten at leisure, rather than hastily gobbled from gloved hands. Happily, picnics are also the perfect birthday party: everyone brings something, no one outstays their welcome (although last year we had to clamber over the park railings) and the clean-up is both merry and minimal. Over the years, I’ve refined the art, learning that a few select dishes work better than Ratty’s veritable banquet in The Wind in the Willows – and that nothing makes people smile like an old-fashioned Famous Five-style feast. July and August may feature more exotic fare but, for me, June is a time to celebrate the British summer at its best.”
Cheddar and nutmeg custard tart
SERVES 6-8. HANDS-ON TIME 25 MIN, OVEN TIME 1 HOUR, PLUS CHILLING AND RESTING
You could call it a quiche, but this deeply wobbly, seriously cheesy number has little in common with many commercial versions, with their damp tasteless pastry and thin fillings. Any strong, fairly dry cheese will work in place of cheddar.
MAKE AHEAD
Make the pastry (step 1) and chill for 1-2 days, or freeze wrapped in 2 layers of cling film for up to 1 month. The baked quiche will keep for a few days, covered, in the fridge. If not travelling, warm it in a hot oven for 15 minutes to serve with buttery potatoes.
FOOD TEAM’S TIP
You can use a food processor if you prefer, but be very careful not to over-work the pastry or it will be tough. Pulse all the pastry ingredients until they start coming together, then tip onto a work surface and bring together with your hands.
• 320ml double cream
• 3 medium free-range eggs and 2 egg yolks
• Freshly grated nutmeg