parmesan flans with tomatoes and basil

Last night I was looking through my old recipe notebooks - large black sketching books where I pasted recipes from Gourmet and other food magazines.  I put this in my notebook in July 2008 from Cooking Light, and always wanted to make it, and somehow never got to it until this morning.

The first batch was a flop - I oiled the ramekins, made the egg and parmesan mixture, poached gently, cooled - and tried to unmold them. Disaster, as the bottom stuck and the tops broke into pieces.  I wasn't giving up, so I whipped up a quick batch of quiche batter, oiled the ramekins again, and cooked in a hot water bath for 45 minutes.  This time it worked.  The flans are prone to breaking up, so use a small spatula to move them after you unmold them.

 Oil 3 or 4 ramekins with mild olive oil.  Set oven temperature to 340F.  Fill a pan halfway with hot water - it should be big enough for your ramekins to fit easily.

The egg-cheese mixture:

2 extra large eggs
1/2 cup medium cream
1/2 cup milk
a scraping of nutmeg
black pepper 
1 or 2 tablespoons goat cheese, crumbled (optional)
3/4 cup good grated Parmesan cheese

Mix well and divide between your four ramekins.  Place in hot oven and bake for 35 minutes (they should be soft but firm).
Using a potholder or kitchen towel, remove ramekins from hot water to cool.

Make the tomato mixture:

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved, then quartered (more if you need)
3/4 cup peeled, diced cucumbers
two small yellow mini peppers, seeded and diced
salt and pepper
1/4 cup sliced fresh basil leaves

Run a knife around the flans and carefully unmold about an inch from your platter.
Space the flans a few inches apart, then sprinkle the tomato and cucumber mixture over each one, then top with the slivered basil.

These are pretty mild tasting, so feel free to jazz them up, if you want.

My thyme plant has been attacked by birds, with a tiny few inches left.  I was puzzled, until I found this article.

Enjoy this beautiful day!