Zucchini and Lemon Pie

This recipe is from Madeleine Kamman's book When French Women Cook. This is great as a summertime dessert with coffee. I have also made it in a square pan and cut it into bars for an appetizer. You could use a store bought pie crust, but the crust is actually quite easy to make. I usually bake the crust with the zucchini while I am mixing the custard to cut down on time.

• Ready In: 1 hr 35 mins
• Serves: 8-10
• Yields: 1 9 inch pieb

Ingredients

• Pastry

• 1  cup flour
• 6  tablespoons butter
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 3 1⁄2 tablespoons plain yogurt

• Filling

• 3  very small zucchini, sliced 1/8 thick
• 1  tablespoon unsalted butter
• 2  tablespoons sugar
• 1  pinch salt
• 1⁄3 teaspoon caraway seed
• 1⁄2  lemon, juice of
• 1⁄2 teaspoon  grated lemon rind

• Lemon custard

• 6  tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2⁄3 cup sugar
• 2  lemons, juice of
• 2  eggs
• 2  egg yolks
• 1  pinch salt
• 2  tablespoons rum
• 2  tablespoons flour
• 1  grated lemon, rind of
• 1  tablespoon  superfine sugar

Directions

1. To make the pastry:
2. Make a well in the flour. Cut the butter into large chunks, 1 tablespoon each, and add. Add the salt. With the fingertips, flatten the butter in the flour until the mixture is mealy and the butter is in pieces the size of peas. add the yoghurt. Mix with fingertips. Frasier twice. Flatten into a 1/2 inch by 4 inch disc. Refrigerate.
3. To make the filling:
4. Heat the butter in a skillet. Add the zucchini and stir. Sprinkle with the sugar and salt. Add the caraway seeds, lemon juice and rind. Cook until the zucchini loses its bright green color and the juices have thickened. Cool completely.
5. To prepare the custard:
6. Cream the butter well. Beat in the sugar, juice of two lemons, 2eggs, 2 egg yolks a pinch of salt and the rum. Mix well. Fold in the flour and lemon rind.
7. To bake the pie:
8. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. roll out the pastry to fit a 9 inch quiche pan. Line the bottom of the shell with the zucchini and its juices. Bake 20 minutes on bottom rack of oven.
9. Pour the custard over the zucchini and raise pie to the top rack of the oven. Bake another 20 to 25 minutes or until the custard is set. Sprinkle the superfine sugar on top and broil for 1 minute. Serve lukewarm or cold.