Thursday, March 22, 2012

Rosie Ushers In Spring With An Asparagus Quiche.


 
I herald Spring with a capital S
and offer you Asparagus Quiche,
from the very first asparagus (asparagi) from my garden.


Let's start with a pie dough,
which is not just any pie dough.
It supersedes all pie doughs you might have had.

I'm making the basic recipe for the dough
and please note:
You divide this into thirds.
You will be able to make three different things with this dough.
Today, I'm making the pie dough
and using 1/3 of the dough for my Asparagus Quiche.

If you don't want to make your own pie dough,
 then I recommend Pillsbury's.
Don't get the pie dough
already in the pan.
The pan isn't deep enough
and the dough has a tendency to crack.

Pie Dough Ingredients:
3 cups flour
3 sticks cold butter
1 large egg
4 TB ice water

Cut cold butter into small dices.
Add to flour mixture and mix with fingers, then pastry blender.
You want a composition of pea-sized pieces
down to coarse grain.
Mix egg and cold water and pour into flour mixture.
Work into a ball, adding extra flour as needed.
Divide into thirds.
Plastic wrap and refrigerate.

For the step by steps:
Dice cold unsalted butter.

Add to flour and incorporate with fingers.

Keep working it.



This is after I used the pastry blender.

Add in egg and cold water.

Turn the mess onto a lightly floured surface.

And make a cohesive mass.

Roll out to about 1/8 inch thin.
I flour and flip several times during rolling.


Roll dough over rolling pin and ...

... unroll over your pie dish.

Cut excess off and crimp edges.

Now for the quiche:
 Asparagus Quiche
One basic pie dough.
4 large eggs + 1 yolk, room temperature
1 cup skim milk
1 cup heavy cream
(This is what I have on hand.
You could use whole milk.
The fat content is not that much of an issue.)
freshly ground salt and pepper to taste
6 strips extra crispy bacon
8 oz. Swiss cheese, diced
4 oz. Brie, diced
 and ...
 
... asparagus spears from your garden.
Here are the first 8 spears from my 
one plant in the front rose bed.



 
Cheeses and bacon in the pie.


Beautiful, fresh-picked asparagus.
When picking at the store,
you want bright green stems
and close, tight heads.
You don't want any flowering.




Arrange asparagus spears in the quiche.

Whisk scalded, slightly cooled milk into eggs.

Pour in milk, cream, and egg mixture into pie.


Try to push the asparagus under the liquid.

Give it some cheddar love.

Don't forget the Parm.

Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.
Check at 35.
Tooth pick test.

Let 'er rest.
10 minutes.










Shhh.
Don't tell anybody,
but Mr. Hawthorne loved this
and, of course, he doesn't "like quiche."


3 comments:

Amy said...

Looks Heavenly! Can't wait til we have fresh asparagus here.

Anonymous said...

Rosie,

Mr Angela & I are drooling over your quiche. The Brie put us over the edge. You know how us Wisconsin folk love our cheese. I'm schooling Mr. A on making a fresh tomato sauce tonight. Very fun but the boy needs to learn how to properly chop an onion. Lol.

Love from WI!

Ange

Rosie Hawthorne said...

Thanks, Amy. I'm staring at a dozen more stalks of asparagus I just picked. What to do? What to do?

Ange from WI, this quiche,I admit, was a tad overboard on cheese, but I like it that way. Hope Mr. Angela kept all fingertips!