This week it was really all about Sandy. Again, those of us who belong to this French Friday with Dorie gang were reminded of our being about much more than cooking. Soon after this hurricane had rock-and-rolled its malice and destruction up North America’s eastern coast, those of us left unscathed were checking on our colleagues.
News from them started to dribble in late Tuesday via Twitter, E-mail and Cell Phone. We all posted those updates on our FFWD Facebook page until we knew everyone was safe and accounted for albeit without power, conveniences and gasoline. Mother Nature’s power is humbling and I know we all hold the victims of this disaster in our hearts.
Mushroom and Shallot Quiche
This weeks FFWD recipe is a Mushroom and Shallot Quiche. Not too much different or unique about this quiche but it’s no-fail and absolutely delicious. “Mushrooms and shallots are a classic combination and the base of the traditional finely chopped filling called duxelles,” Dorie reminds us. “The result is a deep, earthy flavor.”
Spread 1 TBS of fresh minced thyme on the half-baked tart shell before adding the filling.
To that I would add a bold, even strong, taste. Besides salt and pepper, fresh thyme is the only herb used in this dish. Thyme bows to no one, edging out both the shallots and scallions to bring an edge to this quiche.
The classic combination of mushrooms and shallots, finely chopped, which is the basis of the filling called duxelles.
Dorie provides the recipe to this excellent quiche here. It’s fast, easy (serve warm or at room temperature) and goes well with soup, salad or on its own.
Oven-ready
This was not a sharing week at the Hirsch household, shameful as that may sound. This quiche was so tasty, I decided to eat the entire dish by myself………….yep, you got it, real women do eat quiche. To see if other Doristas were better at sharing this week, go here.
Gone. No sharing this week.
I also want to echo Diane Balch’s column this week about Voting in the upcoming American election. A democracy only works if every citizen is engaged, participating in the process. In the 2008 presidential election a disappointing 43.2% of eligible Americans did not vote.
The past few weeks I have been working for my candidates. Both parties are all about Getting-out-the-Vote. To that end, I commited to helping my Party’s choices by standing at Aspen’s HIghway 82 S-Curve at 7:30 a.m., waving signs promoting early voting and candidates while a constant ribbon of cars and trucks come into town. We’re talkin’ hundreds. Might I mention that it’s Colorado cold here – 40 degrees? God bless America.
Getting Out the Vote, 7:30am, Aspen, Colorado, 40 degrees
To be honest, it’s been crazy fun. One of my first thoughts was “Here I go, embarrassing my children again.” But, when the Thursday edition of the Aspen Times carried a picture of us in our early-morning “Get-Out-The-Vote Poster Wave”, Melissa plastered it on her Facebook Page. “That’s my mom in the middle! I don’t care what side you are on, this is a GREAT country!
This morning at 7:30A.M., the last day of Early Voting, there were eight of us, bundled up and ready to wave. We’ve always received honks, thumbs up, thumbs down, and the #$@%#@!% shout-outs. This morning, our last, and, it being Friday after all, we decided to throw in a little choreography. Yes, sign-routines. The car, truck, and bus crowd loved it, parties be hanged.
Why do I do this? America has a population of 157 million women. Only 46.2% of females 18 and older voted in our last national election (2010). As far as I’m concerned that’s just not good enough. If I lived in Brunei or Saudi Arabia, for example, I wouldn’t even be able to vote. If I had lived in the United States before 1920, I couldn’t have voted either. My standing on a Colorado street corner in freezing temperatures urging people to vote pales in comparison to the efforts of our Sisters who won the vote for us:
“The 19th Amendment to the Constitution, giving the right to vote to women (1920) took 72 years:
and, required 56 referendum campaigns, 47 campaigns to get state constitutional conventions to write women’s suffrage into state constitutions, 480 drives to get state legislatures to hold those referendums (5 referendum campaigns in South Dakota alone), 277 campaigns to get state party conventions to include women’s suffrage planks, 30 campaigns to get presidential party campaigns to include women’s suffrage planks in their platforms and, 19 campaigns with 19 successive Congresses.” ***
Please VOTE and eat Quiche.
*** New York Times Columnist Gail Collins
No sharing? I love it. It’s that good, though. Nice job.
I appreciate being the recipient of the post-Sandy concern. We’ve got a great group of caring friends in FFWD, don’t we?
And, thanks for your efforts in getting the vote out, on the Colorado highway and in cyberspace. I, for one, never miss a major election. I remember going into the polling booth with my mother when I was small, and she let me pull the lever. My parents ingrained in me that it’s our civic duty to vote. I didn’t even think about the things you mentioned about women’s fight to win that right. I’ll add that to what I think of when my heart swells with pride to live somewhere where every citizen can make a difference! I’m getting corny, so I’ll stop.
Have a great weekend!
Betsy, I was concerned aboutyour beehives and cannot believe they made it through the hurricane unscathed. My daughter and son-in-law never vote early on purpose because they have always taken Emma and Clara with them and let them help. From what you say about your parents taking you into the booth, patriotism and voting is helped by example. Being a “woman on the street” for a good cause was actually fun. Something I thought I’d never do.
I didn’t share either! But no one even asked for a slice at my house 😉 I’m so glad we have FB to check in with all the east coast Doristas…thanks so much for checking in on and reporting back on our friends! Love the photo of you in action…and the strong push to vote. My parents always worked the polls on election day.
I have my quiche for myself too! Though I might share some with my mother today. Mushrooms are a strong taste, and you either like them or not I think. It turned out great Mary! You know, here voting is mandatory, and I don´t know if it solves the problem, though I think people should be interested in who leads them , but many are just happy to follow and not question. I applaud you for getting yourself out there. Have a great weekend!
I knew it was mandatory in France, Paula, but didn’t realize it was also the case in Argentina. When I was in South America in September I thought it was so neat that in two of the three countries I visited, Argentina (Cristina Fernandez) and Brazil (Dilma Vana Rousseff) had female presidents. YEA, Women. We haven’t done that yet!
Mary, what a truly wonderful post – I love the way your delicious quiche looks like and the fact “that you kept it all to yourself”! And I am in awe of you standing in the freezing cold with the banners to “vote early” – respect!!! As far as Sandy is concerned, I was very relieved to read that all of the Doristas are doing well, the pictures that we are seeing here from the devastating hurricane truly break my heart! And as we watched the TV screen, I really felt awful and was not really sure whether it would be appropriate to post these days. But many of you did and I am glad that this wonderful recipe was enjoyed by so many of the Doristas! I am grateful to be able to be part of this amazing group!
Have a safe weekend!
Didn’t you notice that Cher was one of the first Doristas to Post? And, Betsy? I questioned whether they could pull it together also, but was not surprised that they did.
First and foremost, thanks to you and others for posting the updates on FB that our friends in the Northeast were safe. I spent much of the week myself checking in on loved ones in the area, some are still without power and water today. I grew up in the area and it is just crazy to me to think that a hurricane could cause so much damage that far north.
Second, thanks for your efforts to get the vote out. Voting is not just a privilege, but also a responsibility, no matter where you are in the world. I mailed in my absentee ballot weeks ago.
I think you may appreciate this country and the priviledge of voting more so because you are watching us from afar and are not home. I love to travel but every time I return from an international trip, I kneel and put both hands on the tarmac. I don’t know if that means, “I here safely.” or “You’re (USA) still here.” It just feels good, either way.
Love it Mary. So glad you are here cooking and doing the balloon thing.
hope no one thinks you are the guys that egged the Republican headqtrs in Aspen.. I mean you had to buy eggs for the quiche, you are dems, you are wild and crazy. Lots of clues.
Donna – Not me. I have my standards, after all. I am above such foolishness!!! Honestly, some stupid trick like that doesn’t help at all.
Hi Mary,
Your quiche looks wonderful. I can’t wait to make it. Had a great dinner out last night. Thanks for mentioning my voting post. I hope people will still remember to vote even with the hurricane. I hope we have power for our machines…
I voted this week and ate quiche, doesn’t get much better than that ;-). Your quiche looks scrumptious!
YOU WIN.
Very nice post, Mary!
I’m sorry to have missed this one, but hope to be back on track with FFWD this week.
Cher:
Sharing is HIGHLY over-rated :
Runner Girl hit 18 in the spring and she is so excited that she gets to vote in this election. I was proud that she cared – I guess all those years of lugging the girls to the polling place for every civic and school election had an impact.
Yeah, Mom, you’ve done MANY things right in raising those two girls. This is just one of them.
Mary, I love quiche but (I think I’ve been living in the closet( have never made one with mushrooms, this sounds delightful!
I’m not gonna lie, I ate the majority of this quiche myself. I accidentally left the last two pieces out of the fridge overnight at work & I still ate them for lunch the next day – food poisoning be damned! I am excited to vote today but also scared of what the outcome will be but I always feel that way. Great post Mary – the quiche & your efforts to get people to vote are very admirable.
Great remembrance of women’s right to vote! Delicious quiche, too!