Mushroom Quiches

At this time of year, I often find myself with a refrigerator that looks like Mother Nature has finally taken leave of her senses, unleashing her plenteous bounty in almost menacing fashion. Between farmer's markets, the generosity of gardening friends, and the beautiful summer produce available in any supermarket, I can get a bit over-excited, and wind up surrounded by enough fruit and vegetables to feed a small village.

Some things (squash, beans, leafy greens) will keep in the fridge, but others, like fresh shiitake mushrooms, really need to be cooked ASAP. And so it was that on a Sunday night when nobody was very hungry but there wasn't much going on, I headed into the kitchen and made these quiches. NB you could sub pretty much whatever veggies you like for the mushrooms: sauteed broccoli or asparagus, roasted peppers, caramelized onions, etc., or any combination of these would work beautifully. (Now to figure out what to do with all the other stuff.)

Mushroom Quiches (makes two)
The Filling
Ingredients
~ 1 tbsp. olive oil
~ 2 tbsp. minced garlic
~ About 10 cups thinly sliced brown mushrooms (they cook down!)
~ 1 tsp. each: salt, marjoram
~ ½ tsp. each: tarragon, white pepper
~ Fresh black pepper
~ 1 cup raw cashews, soaked for at least an hour
~ 1 lb. extra firm tofu, drained and crumbled
~ 2 tbsp. nutritional yeast.
~ 1 tsp. salt (black salt is nice if you can get it)
~ 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
~ Paprika for garnish
~ Pastry for two single-crust pies, homemade or store-bought

Directions:
~ Preheat the oven to 375 degrees fahrenheit.
~ In a large skillet or wok, heat the oil and saute the mushrooms (adding in batches) over medium-high heat for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has cooked off and they smell all 'shroomy. Add the minced garlic and dry seasonings, and cook about another minute.
~ Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
~ In a food processor, combine the cashews, tofu, salt, nutmeg, and nutritional yeast. Process until smooth, adding up to a cup of the cooked mushrooms. (You can also add a splash of water if it seems too thick, but remember you want it to slice after it's cooked.)
~ In a large mixing bowl, combine the mixture from the food processor and the remaining cooked mushrooms. Stir thoroughly and divide equally between two prepared 9" pie crusts, homemade or store bought (I used frozen).
~ Smooth the tops with a rubber spatula, then sprinkle with a little paprika.
~ Bake for 40-50 minutes at 375 degrees, until a butter knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
Check occasionally to make sure the crust doesn't burn; if it looks like it's browning to quickly you can cover the pies (loosely) with aluminum foil.
~ Remove the cooked quiches from the oven and allow to cool for 10-15 minutes before slicing.