Recipe by Chef Megan Lambert, Senior Instructor at Johnson & Wales University, Charlotte, NC.
Asparagus Quiche
Yield: 8 servings
Springtime means beautiful fresh asparagus in the garden or at the farmer’s market. There is just no comparison between fresh spring asparagus, and what we find at the grocery store in the middle of winter. It is worth waiting for! This recipe is a decadent celebration of the abundance of spring, after a long cold winter.
Whole Wheat Pie Dough Ingredients
Yield: 1 9-inch pie crust
- ¾ c. whole wheat flour
- ¾ c. all-purpose flour
- ½ c. salt
- 10 T. butter
- 5-6 T. ice water
Method
- Mix together flours and salt in a medium bowl.
- Cut in the butter using fingertips until it is in pieces the size of chickpeas.
- Sprinkle the water over the flour mixture and mix very gently, pressing and flipping the dough until it just comes together.
- Press the dough into a disc, wrap in plastic, and chill overnight or freeze until ready to use.
- Preheat oven to 375F.
- To make the quiche, roll out the pie dough into a 12” circle and place into a 9” pie pan.
- Fold the edges under to make an even rim on the pie shell and flute the edges.
- Place a parchment paper liner in the pie crust and fill with pie weights (or beans or rice)
- Bake in a 375F oven until the crust is dry, then remove the paper liner and continue baking until it is just slightly brown.
- Proceed with quiche recipe.
Asparagus Quiche Ingredients
- 3 eggs, large
- ¾ c. whole milk
- ¾ c. heavy cream
- ¼ tsp. salt
- ¼ tsp. pepper
- 1 T. olive oil
- 1 asparagus, bunch
- 1 c. white cheddar cheese, shredded (4 oz.)
Method
- Heat oven to 325ºF.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, cream, salt, and pepper. Set aside until ready to assemble the quiche.
- Break the bottoms off of the asparagus stalks at their natural breaking point. Cut the stalks into 1” lengths. Finely chop the green onions.
- Heat the oil in a medium sauté pan, over medium heat, and add the asparagus. Sauté until it is bright green, just a few minutes. Add the green onions and sauté for a minute. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
- To assemble quiche: Put the baked pie shell on a sheet pan lined with parchment. Place ½ cup of shredded cheese at the bottom of the pie crust. Place sautéed asparagus mixture on top of the cheese, then pour the custard mixture over the asparagus. The custard should come up as high as possible, without overflowing. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and place the quiche into a 325ºF oven.
- Bake until the quiche is slightly puffed in the center, and jiggly but not liquid. Approximately 30 – 45 minutes.
- Allow the quiche to cool slightly before cutting into 8 slices.
- Serve warm with a spring salad.
