Strangeness And Charm

Do you know about quarks?

Physicists like Bob will tell you that a quark is an elementary particle. There are six types of quarks, known as flavours; up, down, top, bottom, strange and charm.

My SIL Marion will tell you that quark is a low fat dairy cheese, beloved of Slimmers' World Devotees. The Scandis love quark and use it a lot in their cooking.

I recently borrowed this book from the library, you can read some more of the recipes, here.

The book contains a recipe for Quark Pastry [with the cheese, not the atomic particles]

Basically it is 250g softened butter, 250g quark, mixed together - then stir in 250g flour, 1tsp baking powder, ½tsp salt. Form into a circle of dough, and wrap in cling film.

Chill in fridge for 30 minutes, then use as any other pastry.

I made two quiches - one using up some smoked mackerel, some cooked new potatoes and chopped spring onions, the other was bacon,mushroom and tomatoes - both in a basic egg/milk custard [with a dollop of leftover cream for added richness]

Using the small amount of pastry leftover, I made some mini tart shells, which I baked blind [and remembered to get out of the over before the quiches had finished cooking!]
I froze one quiche whole, portioned the other, and we have been enjoying lunches of warmed mackerel quiche, with a salad, and on colder days, with jacket potatoes and cooked veg.


I filled the tarts with some leftover taramasalata, garnished them with half a cherry tomato. They do look more like strawberry tarts- but they tasted fine.


The quark pastry, made with wholemeal flour, is quite pleasant - not as 'short' as regular shortcrust, and the baking powder gives it a little 'lightness''. You could say it has strangeness and charm so it really is quark!
The first time you encounter snow, it probably has strangeness and charm too. We have yet to see any here in Dorset. Here's my precious Sno-Ro in Norfolk yesterday, enjoying the winter wonderland! Pleased to see she has proper stringed mittens!