Quiche is great. Just dump anything you like onto 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..."

What you need :

• Your favourite pie pan
• 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 2 pounds)
• 180g (6-ounce) 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 (20 to 30cl - 8 to 10 ounces) – for our American friends, half-and-half will do just fine
• Some grated cheese (a handful or two)

Ingredients are for a 27cm (11-inch) diameter pie pan.

That will serve 3 as a main dish, or plenty as a sharing platter.

What to do :

Pre-cook the courgette slices :

• Wash the courgettes, cut them up into 2 to 3 mm slices (that's about 1/8 inch).
• Put them in a large bowl,
• cover with hot water,
• and 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. You should have enough for two or even three layers.

(careful, they'll be hot when you take them out of the microwave !)

• Beat the eggs together with the cream.
• Add some pepper or your favourite spice.

No need for salt, the smoked salmon is plenty salty 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 watch an episode of your favourite tv show while you wait (optional).

Take it out of the oven.

Eat it straight away.

Or place it on a cooling grid and enjoy it for tomorrow's picnic.

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

Quiche with a twist

There is 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 if you feel wild!

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

• Like peas,
• sweetcorn,
• spring onions,
• other-season onions,
• or leeks.
• Or even peppers for something more colorful.

Give those a try and let us know!