Memorial Day Brunch

What a glorious weekend! Daughter Barista is home from college and we packed in a bunch of summer-like activities -- our town's Saturday farmer's market, the annual salmon roast at a local shop, even laying out in the sunny backyard only to watch our freckles pop out across our noses and for some odd reason, on my knees. But Sunday morning was all about brunch. My family came for a noon-ish outdoor brunch, with daisies on the tables and the happy dog wandering around looking for hand-outs. The menu? A garden vegetable crustless (and gluten free) quiche, ham and asparagus bundles cooked on the grill, English muffins toasted on the grill, sliced fruit, and cherry-chicken sausage bought from a farmer at the market. Coffee, iced tea and mimosas rounded out the yummy meal. Here's the recipe for the crustless quiche. . . which is really not a quiche at all but more like a breakfast casserole. I made it the night before and popped it in the oven in the morning.

Garden Vegetable Crustless Quiche

9 eggs
1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup gluten free flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 16-oz carton low fat cottage cheese
4 cups sliced zucchini
2 cups frozen potato with onion (O'Brien potatoes), thawed
1 cup diced red bell pepper
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tomatoes, thinly sliced

Heat 1 T olive oil in non-stick skillet. Add zucchini, potato, red bell pepper and mushrooms and saute for 5 min or until tender. Remove from heat and let cool. In large bowl, beat eggs, milk, flour, salt and baking powder. Add cottage cheese, 3/4 cup pepper jack and 3/4 cup cheddar cheese. Add vegetables to eggs. Stir in parsley. Pour mixture into greased 9 x 11 glass pan. top with remaining cheese and tomatoes. Refrigerate over night. In the morning heat oven to 400. Bake for 15 min and turn oven down to 350. Bake for 35 min until lightly browned and set. Let cool for 10 min and serve.