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Confession time. Have you ever been tempted to “forage” from a restaurant’s herb planters? See, there’s a local salad chain near us that has fresh herbs planted outside. I had been at the grocery earlier in the day and was unimpressed by the state of their oregano. I picked up the better of the meager offerings, but as I headed to lunch at the salad joint, I couldn’t help but notice how much healthier their oregano looked. No, I didn’t pick a sprig this time — but it was seriously tempting!

Herb envy aside, as I planned this recipe for mini quiche I knew I wanted to include feta and herbs. I wasn’t sure what vegetable to include — we are so close to asparagus season here in Virginia, but it’s not at market yet — and decided to go with leeks for a lighter flavor. A couple years ago, we had the chance to create a “foodimal” inspired by Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 for the movie’s release. Have you seen it? A line the kids still repeat, frequently, is “There’s a leek in the boat!” And it just so happens that created the perfect opening to get the kids to try leeks. They’re really quite mellow in flavor, but describing them as similar to onions can be a turn-off. Instead, we eased into them in soup form, and the kids discovered they weren’t anything to be afraid of. Of course, baking anything in a cheesy egg dish is also a good enticement to try it — and these individual quiches are just perfect for an easy and kid-friendly meal. I prefer quiche with a buttery pastry crust, but you could easily make these crustless for a faster and weeknight-supper-friendly version.

After preparing the pastry dough, I prepped the leeks and other ingredients while waiting for the dough to chill. Take the leek, rinse it well, trim the ends (you’ll use just the light green and white stalk, trimming the leaves and reserving for another use) and slice it lengthwise. Place the halves cut-side down on the cutting board and thinly slice them crosswise. Add the sliced leek and olive oil to a small sauté pan and cook them down until tender.

You’ll then set aside the leeks, chopped oregano and crumbled feta. Whisk together the eggs and milk, and you’re ready to assemble.

To cut pastry the right size for a muffin tin, I used the rings for a wide mouth Mason jar. A biscuit cutter isn’t quite big enough, but the Mason jar lids are a perfect 3 inches. Cut the dough into circles and gently press into oiled muffin tins, creasing gently.

From here, simply spoon the cooked leeks, feta and oregano into each pastry shell. Fill with the egg mixture and it’ll bake for about 25 minutes — before emerging puffy, lightly golden and delicious!

Recipe: Mini Feta Leek Quiche

Makes 12 individual quiche

Ingredients:

• Pastry for one pie crust (or prepared pie crust, thawed)
• 1 leek
• 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
• 6 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
• 4 eggs
• 1/4 cup whole milk
• salt and pepper

Instructions:

1. Heat olive oil in small sauté pan over medium low heat. Add leek and cook, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes or until tender. Season with a pinch of salt and couple turns of freshly-cracked black pepper. Remove from heat.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Oil a muffin tin and set aside.
3. Roll out pastry dough and cut into 3-inch circles. Gently press circles into muffin tin.
4. Add a teaspoon of cooked leeks to each pastry shell. Sprinkle with crumbled feta and chopped oregano.
5. Whisk together eggs and milk. Season with a pinch of salt and black pepper. (Note: feta is often quite salty, so taste first to adjust salt in egg mixture accordingly.)
6. Spoon egg mixture over leeks in pastry shells, being careful not to fill above the pastry edge.
7. Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, until puffed and lightly golden. Let cool for 5 minutes, before gently removing from muffin pan. Serve warm or chilled.

The Sunday Supper tastemakers are making finger foods into a supper-worthy feast this week. Check out the other great sounding recipes below!

Pinky Appetizers

• Artichoke Jalapeno Bruschetta by Grumpy’s Honeybunch
• Bacon Wrapped Dates by Our Good Life
• Baked Blue Cheese Olive Bites by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
• Baked Chicken Flautas by Cosmopolitan Cornbread
• Baked Piroshki (Russian Stuffed Rolls) by Curious Cuisiniere
• Blue Cheese & Buffalo Chicken Wonton Bites by Moore or Less Cooking
• Caprese Polenta Cakes by Eat, Drink and be Tracy
• Cherry Topped Brie Bites by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Chicken Pesto Pizza by Taste And See
• Classic Homemade Guacamole by Pies and Plots
• Fresh Vegetable Rainbow Rolls by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• Italian Fried Stuffed Olives by La Bella Vita Cucina
• Healthy Buffalo Chicken Kabobs by Hardly A Goddess
• Mini Feta Leek Quiche by FoodieTots
• Mini Mediterranean Shish Kebabs by Hey What’s for Dinner Mom?
• Pan Seared Bruschetta by Seduction in the Kitchen
• Raspberry Glazed Chicken Wings by Family Around The Table
• Sesame Chicken Fingers by An Appealing Plan
• Spicy Popcorn Chicken by Brunch-n-Bites

Manual Mains

• Battered-dipped Turkey Tenders by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Beef Wellington Bites by Food Lust People Love
• Broccoli, Ham and Cheese Egg Muffin Cups by Cupcakes & Kale Chips
• Broccoli, Ham & Cheese Double Stuffed Potatoes by Simply Healthy Family
• Cheesy Baked Garlic Chicken Strips by Rants From My Crazy Kitchen
• Cuban Sandwiches by My World Simplified
• Chicken Parmesan Sliders by The Chef Next Door
• Ethiopian Injera and Tikel Gomen (cabbage, carrots and potato) by Caroline’s Cooking
• Fish fingers and Old Bay Dip by Jane’s Adventures in Dinner
• Gluten Free Chicken Nuggets by Gluten Free Crumbley
• Crunchy-Coated Haddock Fingers by Turnips 2 Tangerines
• Ham and Cheese Sliders by Feeding Big and More
• Mini Pizza Pockets by The Freshman Cook
• Mini Pizzas by Angels Home Sweet Homestead
• Ribs with Whiskey Maple Barbecue Sauce by Palatable Pastime
• Savory Beef and Veggie Hand Pies by Positively Stacey
• Spinach-Feta Rolls by Wholistic Woman
• Lasagna Cupcakes by A Mind Full Mom
• Tacos in Lettuce Wraps by Simple and Savory
• Thai Basil Chicken Lettuce Wraps by Casa de Crews
• Thai-Indian Beef Lettuce Cups by The Texan New Yorker
• Vegetarian Piadina Sandwich by she loves biscotti
• Yuca Fritters Stuffed with Cheese by Basic N Delicious

Digit Desserts

• Blueberry and Brie Tarts by Momma’s Meals
• Roasted Strawberry Hand Pies by Baking Sense
• Salted Caramel Cream Puffs by The Redhead Baker

Plus Bite-sized Pavlovas and More Finger Food Recipes from Sunday Supper Movement

Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. To get more great Sunday Supper Recipes, visit our website or check out our Pinterest board. Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here: Sunday Supper Movement.

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