Sausage Quiche with Sweet Potatoes and Collard Greens

Make the Crust

1. With a cheese grater, grate the frozen butter. When the entire stick has been grated, transfer the butter back to the freezer to stay cool.
2. Pour water into a small glass. Add ice cubes.
3. In a large glass bowl, combine the stone ground yellow grits and unbleached all-purpose flour. Season with the salt, and whisk until combined.
4. Add the frozen, grated unsalted butter, and stir in using a rubber spatula.
5. Using a dough blender or a fork, cut the butter into the flour mixture until the butter appears to be the size of peas and the texture of wet sand.
6. Drizzle half of the water on top of the flour-butter mixture. Using a plastic spatula, lightly fold the flour over the liquid. (Do not stir!)
7. Add another tablespoon of water and repeat. When ready, the dough should just hold together when pressed, and you should be able to see flecks of butter in the crust. If necessary, add additional cold water until you reach the desired consistency.
8. Form the dough into a two logs (if using a rectangular tart pan) or two rounds (if using a round tart pan) and wrap tightly in plastic wrap.
9. Refrigerate at least one hour.

Bake the Crust

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spray the tart pan(s) with nonstick cooking spray.
2. On a well-floured surface, use a rolling pin to roll out the dough into a similar shape as the tart pan.
3. Roll the dough over the rolling pin and carefully place into the tart pan. Trim down the edges and press into place using gentle hands.
4. Poke holes in the sides and bottom using a fork.
5. Repeat, if necessary, to make a second quiche.
6. Transfer to the preheated oven and bake 20-25 minutes, or until the crust has turned a golden brown.
7. Remove from the oven, and let cool as the filling is made.

Make the Filling + the Quiche

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
2. Heat the olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
3. In a large glass bowl, combine the ground pork with the sage, salt, fennel seed, black pepper and red pepper flakes. Using a rubber spatula, stir until combined.
4. When the oil in the pan has heated, add the sausage mixture.
5. Cook, breaking up the meat with the back of a wooden spoon, until golden brown.
6. When the meat has cooked through, remove from the heat. Transfer to a bowl, and set aside.
7. In the same skillet, add another tablespoon of olive oil.
8. Add the cubed sweet potato and season with salt and pepper.
9. Cook over medium-high heat, occasionally moving the cubes around the pan so they don’t get too brown.
10. When the sweet potatoes have softened and are a light brown color, remove from the heat. Add to the same bowl with the pork, and set aside.
11. In the same skillet, add another tablespoon of olive oil.
12. As the oil warms, remove the stems from the collard greens. Roll the leaves and slice into thin rounds.
13. Add the collards to the heated pan, cooking quickly. Add the garlic cloves as the greens are wilting.
14. When the greens have wilted completely, remove from the pan, and add to the same bowl with the pork and sweet potatoes. Set aside.
15. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together 5 large eggs with pepper and salt.
16. Sprinkle the pork-sweet potato-collard mixture into the tart pan(s), then drizzle the egg mixture on top.
17. Transfer the quiche into the preheated oven, and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the eggs have cooked through and the top of the quiche is beginning to brown.
18. Let cool. Serve warm (or cool!) and enjoy!