California Black Olive Quiche

Quiches continue to find favor on chic American menus, but they are just as likely to show up on the tables of folks who couldn't care less whether what they eat is in as long as it tastes terrific. And there are those who like quiches because they are easy one-dish meals. Whatever your reason, this classy classic will make you feel like you're breakfasting in a Beverly Hills mansion. (Of course, in Beverly Hills breakfast can come at any hour of the day.)

1 9-lnch deep-dish pie shell, unbaked
4 ounces Swiss cheese, finely diced or shredded
6 bacon slices, cooked crisp and crumbled
1 6-ounce can California ripe pitted olives, drained
4 eggs
2 cups (1 pint) half-and-half (light cream)
Salt and pepper
Nutmeg

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. On bottom of pie shell arrange cheese, crumbled bacon, and olives. In a 1 l/2-quart bowl, beat eggs, half-and-half, and generous sprinklings of salt, pepper, and nutmeg until well-mixed. Pour over cheese, bacon, and olives. Be careful not to overfill the shell, as you may have a bit too much filling.
(Tip: It is sometimes easier to pour the custard filling when the pie pan is already in position on a baking sheet on the oven rack.) Bake on a baking sheet in oven until top is golden and a knife inserted a few inches in from the edge comes out clean (about 30 to 45 minutes). Serve with Sunshines or a white or rose California wine or champagne.

Variations: Without the olives, this recipe is a basic Quiche Lorraine with cheese--good all by itself or as a basis for other quiche combinations. Quiche fillings are limited only by imagination--chopped spinach seasoned with mustard and tarragon, sliced mushrooms and shallots, cooked crab or lobster moistened with sherry. (Allow about a cup of filling in place of the olives and/or bacon.) One simple substitution we often make in the basic quiche is to replace the crumbled bacon with 4 ounces of cooked ham, thinly sliced and diced.

• If you are making the quiche in a standard 9-inch pie pan, reduce the amount of custard to 3 eggs and l l/2 cups half-and-half.

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