Shredded Brussels Quiche

This year has been the strangest year for things like Brussels Sprouts.  I usually have gotten several batches and made bunches of dishes.  But this year, for some reason, the only Brussels Sprouts that showed up at the farmers market were ones that were quite large.  I like what people term "baby" Brussels sprouts.  It seems that once they get to a certain size, they are no longer as tasty as the young ones.  So, I avoided buying any because they were too big.

A couple weeks ago, I did find a bunch that were medium sized (a little smaller than a golf ball).  I gave in and purchased them.  And then, because life got crazy, I forgot about them.  I found them in my refrigerator this morning and they were still in good shape, so I decided I would make a quiche.  In the past, when I have made Brussels sprouts quiche, I have halved or quartered the sprouts.  But I am never satisfied with the texture of the quiche.  While we were organizing my house last week, we uncovered my mandolin, so I decided this morning that I would shred the sprouts and see if I liked that better.  This can be done by hand, but it is so much easier when you have a good mandolin.  But basically, you just thinly slice the sprouts and then separate the leaves.  I did remove all the cores from the mix because they can be bitter.  I also have fresh garlic and just bought a garlic slicer.  So, I decided to thinly slice the garlic and mix it with the sprouts before cooking them and putting them in the quiche.  I finished the quiche with crumbled bacon (turkey this time, but I bet regular bacon would be super too) and shredded Swiss cheese.  It turned out beautifully and I love the texture with the shredded Brussels sprouts.  I will do it this way every time from now on.

Brussels Sprouts, Bacon and Swiss Quiche

• 1 pint Brussels sprouts**
• 1 clove garlic*
• 1 cup Swiss Cheese
• 4 slices bacon (I used turkey this time)
• 6 medium eggs*
• 1 cup 1% milk
• salt and pepper

 Wash and dry the Brussels sprouts and then shred by slicing thinly (I used a mandolin, but this could be done with a knife).  Remove the cores for better texture.  Thinly slice the garlic and mix with the sprouts.  Put about 2 Tbsp of water in the sprouts (in a microwaveable dish).  Microwave for 4 minutes to start cooking the sprouts.  Drain the sprouts and transfer to your quiche dish.  Microwave the bacon slices about 4 minutes or until crisp.  Allow to cool and then crumble.  Mix with the sprouts.  Sprinkle with the Swiss cheese. 

In a bowl, beat the eggs with salt and pepper until smooth.  Slowly add the milk while continuing to beat until the entire mixture is pale yellow.  Carefully pour over the filling and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes, or until a knife, inserted into the center, comes out clean.  Allow to set for 5 minutes before serving.

*CSA ingredients
**Farmers market ingredients