farm in your face: fresh corn quiche

This weekend was another farm-friendly adventure for us and I'm starting to believe in my childhood aspiration to be a (part-time) farmer. On Saturday we escaped the city and headed north for the first apple picking of the season. We left Fishkill Farms with close to a bushel of Jonamac, Cortland, Empire and Macoun apples and drove on to New Palz, NY for lunch and a stop at a few other farmers markets.

And today, we checked out the Back to Basis Good Food Festival down on Gansevoort Street and treated ourselves to 4 "tastings" for brunch. Basis is a mission-driven company that is committed to traditional, localized and 100% traceable food. They partner with farmers and local communities to sell good food in NYC, and this weekend they celebrated the fall harvest with a food festival in the meatpacking district featuring some of the city's top restaurants (including Colicchio & Sons, Minetta Tavern, Craft and Gramercy Tavern among others) and local farmers.

So after all of this farm in my face, here's what I've decided:

1. I should have a farm

2. With my own chikkins

3. And grow my own vegetables

4. And have a cow to milk so I can make ice cream

Sounds great, right? And I think I would be really fulfilled if I were a farmer. My friends Caroline and Jon are my inspiration - aside from being the coolest wine-making cats I know, they are now running Italy Hill Produce and selling their amazing fresh veggies to lucky Finger Lakes residents. Sounds like a dream and even though I don't know them well I love that they're living the life and making it all happen. Even if you don't live on Keuka Lake, sign up for Caroline's weekly email newsletter (italyhillproduce@gmail.com) to get her favorite recipes to go with the seasons ripest vegetables. This week it was Moroccan Tomato Soup using late season tomatoes and Tomatillo and Yogurt Soup...Yum!

Sigh... until I move into my 1700's farm house upstate and start cutting fields and putting up fence posts - IT WILL HAPPEN - here's a recipe from tonight's Football Sunday dinner filled with the goodies we picked up this weekend. Hope you enjoy!

Fresh Corn Quiche

adapted from The Mainstay Inn, Cape May NJ

3 large eggs

1 medium onion, coarsely chopped

1 tbsp. all purpose flour

1 tsp. salt

2/3 cup fat-free half and half

3 tbsp. butter, melted

2 cups fresh corn kernels (cut from 2 1/2 ears)

1 cup frozen spinach, thawed

1/2 cup white cheddar cheese, grated

1 deep-dish whole wheat frozen pie crust, thawed

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Combine the first 4 ingredients in food processor, blend until onion is finely chopped. Transfer to large bowl. Add half and half, butter, corn, spinach, and cheese and mix until incorporated. Pour into crust. Bake until filling is slightly puffed and top is golden, about 50 minutes. Transfer to rack; cool slightly. Serve warm.