The addition of cream cheese to the dough makes for an extra flaky, malleable crust. Of course, you can always just use your own favorite crust recipe, too. Make the crust at least eight hours ahead of time.

Steps

1. In a food processor or a large bowl, combine the spelt flour, salt, pepper, and optional herbs. Add the butter and cream cheese, and pulse or blend until the mixture resembles very coarse cornmeal. Add the ice water and pulse or blend until the dough just comes together in a shaggy ball (this may take 30 seconds or more; at first, the dough will seem reluctant to pull together — trust me, it will in time). Remove the dough and press into a ball. Flatten the ball into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 8 hours, or up to three days. The dough can also be frozen for up to a month.
2. Roast the vegetables. This step can also be done ahead of time, whenever you find yourself at home and the oven is unoccupied. Roasting vegetables requires very little vigilance.
3. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Prep any vegetables you have that you’d like to add to the quiche. I’ve suggested some of my favorites. Of course, you’ll need to know your vegetables, and expect some of them to be done more quickly than others. There’s no rushing this process. In spite of the craze surrounding crisp-tender vegetables, I’m going to insist that you let your vegetables get nice and soft. That’s just how it needs to be for this dish.
4. An hour before baking your quiche, remove the dough from the refrigerator and allow it to sit at room temperature for a few minutes, or until reasonably pliable. Give it a few thwacks, like we talked about earlier. You aren’t going to hurt it. Lightly flour your work surface and begin to roll, turning the dough as you go. Turn it every chance you get, and if it begins to stick, throw some flour under it. Roll until it is ⅛-inch thick and reasonably round. Roll the dough around your rolling pin and transfer it to your 9- or 10-inch pie dish or tart tin. Mold the dough gently into the dish and trim any excess. There should be enough excess dough for a small galette the next day.
5. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. After 30 minutes have passed, line the dough with parchment or tin foil and fill with pie weights or beans. Press the beans down to ensure that there are no air pockets or places where the dough can puff up. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the dough is set and starting to brown at the edges. Remove the beans and foil, brush the dough with a beaten egg yolk, and return to the oven for 7 to 10 minutes more, until the egg wash has dried and the dough is golden.
6. Fill the crust with 2 to 3 cups of the roasted, roughly chopped veggies, depending on how dense you want the quiche.
7. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, salt, pepper, cheese, herbs, and nutmeg until well blended. Pour over the roasted veggies and bake until set and beginning to brown on top, about 25 to 30 minutes. Allow to cool slightly before slicing. Serve with a green salad and an improvised simple tomato sauce if you like.