Stilton, Tomato & Courgette Quiche

Taken from 'Baking & Desserts' - Food Fact : Stilton is a very traditional British cheese which often makes an appearance on the cheese board or served with a ploughman's lunch. It gets much of its full pungent flavour, from its veins (created from the steel wires which are inserted into the cheese during the maturing process) It is worth loooking for a piece of Stilton with lots of veins that hs been matured for longer.

• Ready In: 1 hr
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 150  g plain flour
• 1  pinch salt
• 25  g  lard, cut into small cubes (or white vegetable fat)
• 40  g butter, cut into small cubes (or hard margarine)
• 25  g butter
• 1  onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 1  courgette, trimmed and sliced
• 125  g Stilton cheese, crumbled
• 6  cherry tomatoes, halved
• 2  large eggs, beaten
• 200  ml creme fraiche
•  salt and pepper

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 190C/375F?Gas mark 5. Sift the flour and salt into a large bowl. Add the 25g lard and 40 g butter and mix lightly. Using the fingertips rub into the flour until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
2. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of cold water into the mixture and with a knife, start bringing the dough together. (if may be necessary to use the hands for the final stage) If the dough does not form a ball instantly, add a little more water.
3. Put the pastry in a polythene bag and chill for at least 30 minutes.
4. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pastry and use to line an 18 cm flan tin, trimming any excess pastry with a knife.
5. Prick the base all over with a fork and bake blind in the preheated oven for 15 minutes.
6. Remove the pastry from the oven and brush with a little of the beaten egg. Return to the oven for a further 5 minutes.
7. Heat the 25 g butter in a frying pan and gently fry the onion and courgette for about 4 minutes until soft and starting to brown. Transfer into the pastry case.
8. Sprinkle the stilton over evenly and top with the halved cherry tomatoes. Beat together the eggs and creme fraiche and season to taste with salt and pepper.
9. Pour the filling into the pasty case and bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes or until the filling is golden brown and set in the centre. Serve the quiche hot or cold.