It may look as though we’re in the midst of a Shakespearean tragedy. Actually, we’re discussing diets.
After a wet couple of weeks we finally have enough sun to bring asparagus up in our area. I eat grocery-store asparagus in the winter from time to time. But I CAN’T STOP EATING farm-stand asparagus in the spring. To me the flavor of asparagus embodies this green, lush, delicious season.
I tend to eat asparagus plain, but as the many asparagus recipes in these pages attest I do also put it into other dishes. Yesterday on Mass Appeal Seth Stutman and I put it into a quiche I have served several times already this spring—first with sautéed dandelion greens, then with sautéed spinach, and now with asparagus.
I based it on the idea of a spinach salad so I wanted to add red onion and plenty of cheese. One could of course add a bit of cooked bacon as well—particularly in the spinach or dandelion versions. I’m not sure the asparagus version needed the bacon; it has plenty of flavor the way it is. In fact, another time I might try a milder cheese to let the asparagus flavor dominate more. I’m happy with the recipe as is, however. (I just like to tinker!)
Seth and I also made rhubarb bread. That recipe was adapted from Land O Lakes. If you want to try my version, add 1 tablespoon orange zest to the batter and double the streusel. And if you’d like to use three little pans as I did, bake the bread for less time than the recipe suggests. The mini-breads took 45 minutes in my oven, but when in doubt use that toothpick!
You’ll note from the rhubarb video below that I forgot to add the baking powder, baking soda, and salt. I also FORGOT TO ADD THE CHOPPED RHUBARB!
I’m sure all TV stars have days like yesterday. At any rate, I hope they do.
I stirred the missing ingredients into the batter in the pans before baking the bread and threw a little more brown sugar on top for color. The end result was delicious; the recipe is very forgiving.
Ingredients:
1 red onion, peeled and sliced
2 splashes of extra-virgin olive oil (divided)
2 pinches salt (divided)
3 cloves of garlic, slivered
1 large bunch asparagus, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces and blanched for 1 minute (about 2 cups of pieces)
4 eggs
1 cup cream
5 to 6 ounces crumbled blue cheese
1 9-inch pie shell
Instructions:
Sauté the onion pieces in a little oil until they caramelize (ideally, half an hour or more, but you can get away with 15 minutes if you have to). Sprinkle on a little salt, and remove them from the sauté pan.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Splash a little more oil into the pan, and sauté the garlic briefly (3 to 4 minutes) to soften it. Toss in the asparagus pieces, and sauté them just until they are warm.
In a bowl whisk together the eggs, the cream, and a pinch of salt.
Sprinkle two thirds of the cheese over the pie crust. Top the cheese with the onion, asparagus, and garlic pieces; then pour on the cream/egg custard, and top with the remaining cheese.
Place the quiche on a rimmed cookie sheet to prevent spillage, and bake it for about 40 minutes, until the custard is set and the top is golden. Serves 4 to 6, depending on appetite.
If you enjoyed this post, please consider taking out an email subscription to my blog. Just click on the link below!
Subscribe to In Our Grandmothers’ Kitchens by Email.
Tags: asparagus in western Massachusetts, Asparagus Quiche, asparagus recipes, Rhubarb, Rhubarb Bread, Tinky on TV
Tinky, I’m going to try this this weekend after I hit the Farmer’s Market tomorrow (hopefully someone will be selling asparagus). I think I’ll use some Jarlsburg cheese (I have a left-over hunk in my fridge that I’ve been nibbling on.) I love blue cheese and just finished off some Danish blue I bought for a little gathering, but I think would have been a little too sharp for this dish anyway. I love that you forgot some ingredients, but soldiered on and adapted. Like Julia always said, act as though the outcome was exactly as you had planned all along! Or, expressed another way, never let them see you sweat!
Oh, and one more thing, I recently purchased The Complete Vegetarian Cookbook by America’s Test Kitchen. It has a foolproof tart shell recipe that is never a problem to get into the pan! And it is delish. I made a tomato tart for my daughter and her husband when I was up in Maryland last week using it. Everyone loved it. That will definitely be my crust for this quiche.
Grad, that sounds great! And if i make it again, I will definitely try something Swiss-ish instead of the blue, which is quite strong. You might also cut back on the garlic; I’m not sure it’s needed, although a little garlic never hurts!
I am going to post this on my Facebook page. My mother just LOVED quiches. I got to taste them, and they were all delicious. I am sure this one is too. I am supremely lucky have some great quiche stoneware pots she made with great curvy sides. I need to use them. Thanks for another fun posting!
Ooh–I’d love to see those quiche dishes! And I’m happy to make you think of your mother…..
I also rarely buy asparagus in the winter……. just at Christmas. It is my absolute favorite veggie!!! I get mine at the farm and buy what they call culls . They are really thin stalks about 1/4 inch thick, and have no tough end to snap off, but are every bit as tasty as the thicker pieces that most people prefer. I like to eat mine raw but do try new recipes when I happen to find someone else’s recipe. I made yours last night, and ate the whole thing myself….OINK<OINK. It was delicious!! I also make a lot of cream soup, using whipping cream. It is insanely decadent, but every three days I have the soup for breakfast , lunch, and dinner, and if any is left again before bed. It is the only veggie I eat this time of year. The season is so short I just can't get enough. The same thing happens in August when the corn comes in. I have to have corn on the cob every day, but I do have other food with it, But for the next 6 weeks it is only asparagus God surely came up with a winner when he made this most delectable green gift.
Carolyn–You are my kind of eater! Enjoy the rest of this glorious asparagus season….
Tinky, I made the asparagus quiche recipe and it was wonderful! I did use the Jarlsbug I had left over, but next time I wii try it with blue cheese, which I love. I don’t think there was too much garlic, but I did roast it first. Love this recipe and will be making it again. Keep ‘Em coming.
Roasting the garlic was inspired, Grad! So glad you ended up with yumminess…..