It’s snowing today. Again! I’m not one of those “I hate winter” people. I love the changing seasons and, when winter begins, I’m more than ready to start the soups, stews, and casseroles that seem out of place in the summer months. But when March rolls in like the proverbial lion, I am so ready to kick winter to the curb. Sweaters off, mittens packed, and hibernation over.
That applies to my kitchen bounty as well. It’s like a seasonal clock goes off inside of me and I’m ready for lighter fare and longer days. That’s what’s great about this dish. It fits into the emotional change that spring brings me as well as my appetites’ desires for something different. Less dense. More aligned with the bounty of spring things.
This is a dish that, unlike most winter food, is adaptable to any mealtime too. It can be a breakfast, lunch, dinner, and it’s perfect for Easter brunch. Furthermore, real men not only eat quiche, they love it. (But, feel free to add bacon if you want more assurance they’ll relish it!)
So, in honor of more sun, budding plants, windows open, and breezes cleaning out the cobwebs in our homes and heads…let’s dig into some quiche.
1 Pkg ready pie crust
6-8 pieces asparagus, cut into bite size pieces
1/2 can artichoke hearts, cut into bite size pieces
3 eggs
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup Gruyere cheese, shredded
1/2 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp dried tarragon
1/2 tsp dried chives
1/4 tsp dried chervil
* Use fresh herbs if you like.
* If you want to add bacon to this recipe I would recommend 3 slices, diced and cooked to crisp
* I used mini tart pans for my quiche, but a cupcake pan will work. It makes six tart size quiche or 8-10 cupcake-size quiche.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prepare you pans with butter and a dusting of flour.
Roll out the pie crust slightly. Cut pieces to fit your tins. Fill the tins with the pie dough. Prick the bottoms of the crust with a fork to ensure the crust doesn’t bubble up too much. Place them in the oven and bake for 10 minutes.
Blanch aspargus in boiling water for 2 minutes, until it turns a bright green then immediately drain and plunge into ice water.
Beat together eggs, cream, and salt and pepper. Add in the cheese.
Divde asparagus and artichokes between tins. Pour egg mixture over the top. Bake for 25 minutes, until filling is set.
Serve with a salad for more of a meal. A nice fruit salad for a breakfast or brunch, or a fresh green salad for lunch or dinner. These quiche tarts are so good that I walked by the stove at about three in the afternoon and grabbed one to eat–cold, as a snack–leaving a delicious trail of buttery crumbs for my cats to follow. And, they did!
Leave a Reply