Just great quiche

Quiche holds a special spot in my heart, I associate it with my sis-in-law, Den. In Essex we call it 'cheese flan' and Den makes the best one in the world, always with jacket potatoes and salad and everyone sits around the table lovin' it. It's important to blind bake the pastry case so it's nice and light and crumbly; and use a good mature cheddar. If you want you can buy ready-rolled shortcrust but do get one without artificial additives.

Goes beautifully with rainbow coleslaw.

• 175g plain flour
• 85g butter, chopped into small pieces
• 5 large free range organic eggs
• 300g mature Cheddar cheese
• 4 tablespoons of double or single cream
• handful of spinach leaves
• 2 large tomatoes thinly sliced
• course ground black pepper
• sprinkle of dried mixed herbs
• baking beans
• baking paper
• 20cm flan dish

Heat the oven to 200 degrees.

For the pastry
In a large mixing bowl rub the butter into the flour, with cool hands and working quickly, til it looks like fine breadcrumbs. Add 3 tablespoons of water and mix quickly and lightly into a ball of dough, without too much handling.

Flour the worktop and roll the dough to about 5-7mm thick and use it to line the buttered flan dish. Cover the pastry with a large circle of baking paper and tip in the baking beans. Bake for about 20 minutes.

Whisk the eggs and cream and stir into the cheese. When the pastry case is done remove the paper and beans and fill with the cheese and egg mix. Add the spinach to the top then the sliced tomatoes, pepper and herbs.

Turn the oven down to 180 degrees and bake for 25 mins until the egg is set and the top is slightly golden.