Cherry Tomato and Basil Quiche

My garden is producing an overabundance of cherry tomatoes! We have 2 different kinds of plants, Sweet 100s and Black Cherry. My kids don't really like to eat them, so I needed to find a recipe and use some of them up! I was able to use about 50 in this quiche, but depending on the size of your tomatoes, you might want to go with less than that. I loved the tomato, basil, and ricotta flavor! I even use fresh basil from my garden too! I must give a warning with this dish though, the tomatoes are like little volcanoes, so be careful not to spew hot tomato seed lava all over yourself. I shot some out onto the floor in my first bite. :)

Cherry Tomato and Basil Quiche

adapted from atreatsaffair.com
1 9in. deep dish prepared crust (like Pillsbury crust, or make this Quick Pie Crust)
50 cherry tomatoes (depending on size)
4 eggs
1/2 cup half and half
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
2/3 cup grated Parmesan (I grate mine from a Frigo wedge)
6 leaves of fresh basil, chopped
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place crust into quiche pan of pie pan. Prick bottom and sides of crust with fork. Cover crust with foil, poke a few holes in it, then press it into the crust-lined pan. Bake the crust for 8 minutes. Remove the foil and bake until the crust looks dry but not brown, about 4 minutes more. Remove from the oven; reduce the temperature to 350 degrees.
2. Arrange the cherry tomatoes on top of the crust. You might want to use less than 50, especially if your are on the large side. It's totally your preference. They'll move around a little when you pour the filling on top, so you might do a little rearranging later.
3. In a medium sized bowl, mix eggs, half and half, and ricotta with fork. Stir in the Parmesan cheese, chopped basil, salt, and pepper.
4. Pour the filling into the baking dish. If needed arrange the tomatoes so they are not all cluttered into one spot.
5. Bake the quiche into the preheated oven for 40-45 minutes or just until it starts to brown on top. 6. Remove from the oven, let cool for few minutes before slicing.

Keep leftovers stored in refrigerator.