I LOVE sweet potatoes of all kinds. ALL kinds.
Naturally sweet, creamy, decadent – that’s all I need to suit my sensibility. Salt and pepper. Bam. That’s the best. Occasionally, I’ll “church it up,” with either Kerrygold butter, almond butter, or coconut butter (or all three – OMG!) But, typically, just the potatoes are sweet and creamy enough to satisfy all my delights.
Growing up, I only knew of the “regular” orange sweet potato. Yet, as I grew older, and began to shop for myself, I discovered the garnet yam (not really a yam). Then, the white sweet potato. THEN, while living in the PNW, I was introduced to both the purple sweet potato and the Japanese sweet potato. These sensations truly blew my mind. (Along with Kabocha squash).
There’s no going back, now. Just like with Meyer lemons, I’m always on the hunt for these gems. And, when I find them, I hoard them like crazy.
I saw a few of these rarities this week at the market, and made a mad dash for the produce bin, filled up, and crafted a new quiche recipe in my mind.
A sweet potato “rainbow roll,” of sorts.
I appreciate the color, the variety of flavors, and the tang of fresh lemon, crème fraîche, and the savory goodness of lemon thyme.
Besides, quiche is pretty much the best thing ever, right?
Also – why crème fraîche?
Sour cream, which has a fat content of around 20%, is made by mixing cream with a lactic acid culture; the bacteria thickens and sours it. … crème fraîche is thicker, richer (30-40% fat), and less tangy than sour cream. It won’t curdle under high heat, and it’s just so much more decadent and delightful.
Rainbow Sweet Potato Swiss Lemon Thyme Quiche
Rainbow Sweet Potato Swiss Lemon Thyme Quiche
Crust:
2 cups all purpose flour
8 Tbs. ice cold butter
1 large egg
1 Tbs. apple cider vinegar
2-3 Tbs. ice cold water
Pulse the ingredients together in the bowl of a large food processor until crumbly and beady.
Transfer to a sheet of parchment paper and form into a dough mound.
Top with another layer of parchment and roll out into an 11″ disc.
Transfer to a deep dish pie plate and flute the edges.
Set aside and preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Filling:
1 medium garnet yam (sweet potato), thinly sliced
1 medium purple sweet potato, thinly sliced
1 medium white sweet potato, thinly sliced (I messed up and purchased a regular sweet potato – all three colors will be better)
1 lb. Swiss cheese, thinly sliced
6 large eggs
8 oz. crème fraîche
juice and zest of 1 fresh lemon
1 Tbs. dried lemon thyme
sea salt and pepper
Beginning on the outer edges of the prepared crust, alternate the three rainbow colors of sweet potato, slightly stacked, with slices of Swiss cheese in between each potato slice. Fill the crust completely with slices.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, crème fraîche, lemon, dried herbs, and sea salt and pepper.
Pour the egg mixture over the potato-cheese swirl.
Top (alternating colors) with any extra potato slices.
Place on a baking sheet and bake for 30-40 minutes, until the crust in golden brown on the edges and the center is just about set.
Remove from oven and allow to cool (and finish setting) for several hours.
Sprinkle with additional lemon thyme before slicing and serving.
For a touch of extra tang, top with an additional dollop of exquisite, exceptional, and intoxicatingly rich crème fraîche.
