Roasted Asparagus and Scallion Quiche
Delicious spring, delicious vegetables in abundance at the market and as always, I get excited and buy too much. The asparagus have been lovely lately, both the wild asparagus as well as these farmed asparagus. I love that you can find thin asparagus, our last few years in the states it felt like you could find asparagus all year long and they were always monstrously big, which never lent themselves to an asparagus’s delicacy.
One of my favorite ways to enjoy my spring vegetables is in a quiche and Italy makes that so easy with several different types of pre-made crusts, all delicious, in the grocery store. I am not a pastry person and have embraced the fact that I never will be. There are things that I am just not willing to break a sweat for and pie crust is one of them. The original recipe calls for a whole wheat pâte brisée which I substituted with the store bought one, which I was so pleased to have found.
This quiche would be lovely for brunch, or for people who don’t really do brunch, like us, it is the perfect light dinner, served with a salad.
Roasted Asparagus and Scallion Quiche
from the New York Times
- 3/4 pound thick asparagus
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- 1 bunch good-size scallions (the kind you get in the farmers market) or 1 1/2 bunches thin scallions (the kind you get in the supermarket) (about 5 ounces), trimmed, quartered lengthwise and sliced thin
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon
- 2 tablespoons minced flat-leaf parsley
- 2 egg yolks
- 2 whole eggs
- 1 (9-inch) whole-wheat pâte brisée pie crust, fully baked and cooled
- Freshly ground pepper
- 2/3 cup milk
- 2 ounces Gruyère, grated (1/2 cup)
- 1 ounce Parmesan, grated (1/4 cup)
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Break off and discard woody ends of asparagus and place asparagus on the baking sheet. Drizzle on 1 tablespoon of the oil, add salt and pepper to taste and toss together with your hands until asparagus is thoroughly coated with oil. Place in oven and roast 12 minutes, or until tender and lightly browned in spots, turning asparagus halfway through. Remove asparagus from the oven and allow to cool until you can handle it. Slice into 1/2 to 3/4-inch pieces and place in a medium bowl.
Turn oven down to 350 degrees. Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat and add scallions. Cook, stirring, until tender, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat. Transfer to bowl with asparagus. Add tarragon and parsley and toss together.
Beat together egg yolks and eggs in a medium bowl. Set tart pan on a baking sheet to allow for easy handling. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush the bottom of the crust with some of the beaten egg and place in oven for 5 minutes.
Add salt (I use 1/2 teaspoon), pepper, and milk to remaining eggs and whisk together.
Spread scallion and asparagus mixture in an even layer in the crust. Stir together cheeses and sprinkle evenly on top. Very slowly pour in egg custard over the filling. If your tart pan has low edges, you may not need all of it to fill the shell, and you want to keep the custard from spilling over. Place quiche, on baking sheet, in the oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until set and just beginning to color on the top. Remove from oven and allow to sit for at least 10 minutes before serving. Serve hot, warm or room temperature.
Yield: 6 generous servings
One Year Ago: Farfalle with Fresh Shelled Peas and Pancetta
Two Years Ago: Mushroom Quiche
Three Years Ago: Spinach and Ricotta Quiche with Roasted Tomatoes and Onion Blossoms & Tagliatelle with Yellow Zucchini and Olive Tapenade
Four Years Ago: Mt. Pleasant Farmers Market & Risotto with Artichokes, Saffron and Baby Shrimp
Five Years Ago: Ziti with Asparagus and Flounder, Frittata di Patate, Butternut Squash Soup, Risotto with Sausage, Baby Bellas and Saffron, Fish Stew with Quinoa & Grilled Vermillion Snapper and Grilled Veggies
Italicious 
Love this! And your crust is so pretty!