'Quiche is great. Just dump anything you like on to pastry, add the egg and cream mixture, pop into the oven. Ta dah!' she said, knowing full well where that would lead her...

'Smoked salmon and zucchini is my favourite. Now to translate the recipe into English...'

Ingredients

• One roll of pastry, either puff or shortcrust (standard here is 230g or 280g - 8 or 10 ounces).
• 2 biggish courgettes, or 3 smaller ones (900g or so - about 2lb).
• 180g (6oz) pack of smoked salmon (6 to 8 slices, or enough to cover the bottom of your pie dish).
• 3 eggs.
• 1 carton of single cream (200 to 300ml - 8 to 10 ounces) – for our American friends, half-and-half will do just fine.
• Some grated cheese (a handful or two).
• Your favourite pie dish.

Ingredients are for a 27cm (11 inch) diameter pie dish. This will serve three as a main dish, or plenty as a sharing platter.

Method

Pre-cook the courgettes:

• Wash the courgettes and cut them up into 2mm-3mm slices (that's about 1/8 inch).
• Put them in a large bowl.
• Cover with hot water.
• Microwave for a few minutes, until the slices get soft.

Pre-heat the oven at 180°C (350°F) for 10 minutes. That gives you enough time to get everything else ready:

• Line your dish with the pastry.
• Add the salmon slices to cover the base.
• Arrange your courgette slices in neat rows all over, removing as much water as you can. (Careful - they'll be hot when you take them out of the microwave!) You should have enough for two or even three layers.
• Beat the eggs together with the cream.
• Add some pepper or your favourite spice. (No need for salt - the smoked salmon is salty enough already.)
• You can now pour the egg and cream mixture on top of the rest.
• Add some grated cheese if you like.

Put it in the oven for 45 minutes.

Go to watch an episode of your favourite TV show while you wait (optional).

Take it out of the oven and eat it straight away or place it on a cooling rack and enjoy it for tomorrow's picnic.

Do not leave it in the dish, as it will turn soggy.

Quiche with a Twist

There are an infinite number of combinations for tasty quiche, though, so you could try switching the salmon for:

• Another kind of smoked fish
• Ham
• Bacon
• Or even shrimps or prawns if you feel wild!

As for the courgettes, why not experiment with other vegetables?

• Peas
• Sweetcorn
• Onions
• Spring onions
• Leeks
• Or even peppers for something more colourful.

Give those a try and let us know!