Years ago our youngest child who is a scientist by profession, a nature lover by inclination, and an accomplished woodworker and occasional potter, made for us a wonderful pie plate. It has withstood the test of time over the past decade, through constant use in our kitchen.

Yesterday, because I often like to get ahead of myself when preparing meals, I made a pie crust early in the afternoon, installing it in that very same pottery pie plate. Into the pie crust I grated aged cheddar cheese, and then chopped green onions, and over that I sprinkled very crisp bacon bits I'd cooked in the microwave oven.

Then I covered the pie dish with plastic wrap and chilled it in the refrigerator, to be brought out close to dinnertime when I would complete the quiche. At that time I beat smoked-salmon cream cheese into three eggs, added milk and some hot pepper sauce, and poured the mixture over the pie crust with its already-prepared initial ingredients.

I thought I would add spinach to the ingredients, but thought better of it, and cooked the spinach on its own, as an accompaniment to the quiche. I sectioned a half-dozen Moroccan new-crop mandarins for dessert, to finish off the meal.

Yum, if I do say so myself...