Eleanor's Restaurant offered up a fine quiche in its day

Eleanor's Restaurant was a well-known eatery during the 60's/80's that served up great home comfort style food. It was well known to diners for its wedding banquets and tasty entre' fare.

Lots of Guelphites had their wedding reception held there over the decades. The festively decorated banquet rooms with tables set with crisp linens and sparkling dinnerware. The restaurants lower area had a dance floor and step out patio to get some fresh air. I recall when the locals would dine on a nice steak or hot sandwich dinner then spend the evening dancing at the close-by Paradise Gardens. Some of you will remember in the fields behind the eatery a war era sat a Hawker Hurricane airplane that you could get up close to look in the cockpit.

Along Woodlawn Ave the Imperial tobacco and General Electric plant employees were the regular customers and would dine-in or takeout the menu's inexpensive tasty home cooked meals. The road trip travellers and truckers would also make this a stop before heading north on #6 or #7 highway. The restaurants big U10 drip urn coffee and fresh baked muffins, sweet buns were enjoyed by many.

I worked as a breakfast/lunch short order cook back in 1968 making the many egg omelettes and toasted BLT's and tuna melts. At lunchtime hearty soups and fresh off the roast sandwiches along with the daily quiche egg pie and the tuna melt were very popular especially in the summer when the travellers were heading to the beaches.

Here is the quiche recipe. Some of you may remember having the slice ham bone quiche. Here is a simple recipe using a Pillsbury store bought pie pastry found in the grocery cooler or tis recipe for a pastry crust.

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup cold butter or shortening

3/4 cup ice water

1 tablespoon vinegar

2 egg yolks

Egg wash (1 egg beaten with 1/4 cup water)

Directions

Combine flour, salt, in work bowl of food processor, pulse to combine. Add the butter or shortening and process until the mixture looks like fine crumbs. In a bowl combine water, vinegar, and egg yolks. Add wet mixture to work bowl and pulse until a ball forms. Cover dough in plastic wrap and let rest in refrigerator for 1/2 hour.

In a bowl crack;

4 large eggs, 1 cup 10% cream, 1/4 cup flour, 1 tbs baking powder, salt pepper, mix well.

1 cup of cubed cold dinner ham, 1 cup of chopped green onion, stirring into the mix

1 heaping cup of aged grated Swiss and cheddar cheese. Add half to the mix in the bowl and use the other half spread on top.

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

Flour a deep-dish cake pan or regular glass pie plate and roll over the dough. Pack into the plate crimping the edges to form a wall.

Prick pastry several holes with a fork. Place into the hot oven for 8 minutes. This will help the crust evenly bake. Prick all the air bubbles out.

Now give the egg mixture a vigorous stir to bring in some air and fluff up the batter. Pour in the mixture to the very top.

Bake for 35/40 minutes. If the crust is getting to brown, lower heat to 350 for the last 15 minutes. Bake till it has a golden-brown cheesy crust and set to cool before slicing. Make a small salad and pour a nice cup of tea to bring smiles of approval all around.