This is a fantastically creamy quiche with curly kale and blue cheese. In my family, the curly kale quiche has been a staple on our Swedish Christmas buffet or ‘julbord’ for as long as I can remember, it works well as an accompaniment to the traditional spread of meatballs, ham, salmon, herring, etc.

But it is also perfect served warm with a green salad on a cold winter day. I made this recipe when staying in Skanör, a beautiful coastal town on Sweden’s most southwestern tip. Skanör became rich from an abundance of herring in medieval times but is now more well known as a summer destination.  On a damp and windy day in winter, the sand dunes and shuttered beach huts are almost deserted apart from the odd dog walker or runner.

The quiche is also special as the ingredients in the filling are not bound together by egg but instead with creamy ricotta and crème fraiche.

Serves: 4-6    Total time: 1h 

INGREDIENTS
4-6 persons

For the pastry:
125 g butter
300 ml plain flour
1 ½ tbsp water

For the filling:
Curly kale 200 g – 250 fresh
250 g creamy blue cheese
1 yellow onion
2 garlic cloves
Ricotta 250 g
100-150 ml crème fraiche
Salt and pepper

Optional
Decorate with a fresh herb or micro salad

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 200°C / 180°C Fan.

1. For the pastry, add cube size pieces of refrigerated butter to the flour and work the mixture with your hands until you have a grainy consistency. Add the water and mix into a smooth pastry. Let the pastry rest in the fridge while you prepare the fillings.

2. Discard any hard stems from the curly kale leaves. Tear the kale into smaller pieces by hand. Finely chop the onion and garlic and fry in oil over a medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the curly kale, and a bit more oil if required, and cook until wilted. Season will salt and pepper. Next, add the ricotta, crème fraiche, and half the blue cheese. Let into melt and mix with the vegetables.

3. Knead the pastry dough outwards and up the sides of the tart dish. This is not a quiche with a deep filling so you do not want a dish with tall sides. Prick all over with a fork. Precook the pastry for 10 minutes in the oven.

4. Add the filling, more salt and pepper and the rest of the blue cheese. Oven cook for 30-35 minutes.

Skanör’s colourful beach huts