This Asparagus Quiche is loaded with fresh dill, and is complemented by tangy feta cheese and the bright flavor of lemon.
As I baked this delicate springtime quiche, the weatherman advised me that winter has not yet left the building. There is a giant, impending snowstorm of doom heading our way.
But I promise you, springtime is coming, too. Eventually. I know this because daffodils and pencil-thin asparagus have made their way into my grocery store.
As soon as these delicate asparagus are in season, we can all take a deep breath while we endure the last of the cold and snow. This Asparagus Quiche is loaded with fresh dill, and is complemented by tangy feta cheese and the bright flavor of lemon.
If you bake this quiche on a springy day, you might enjoy it with a side salad of baby spinach. To make it more of a snow day dinner, pair it with some soup – we went with a thick and spicy red lentil. Either way, keep a close eye on the pie crust and cover it with a ring of aluminum foil if it begins to brown too quickly. A burnt crust is never in season.
Asparagus Quiche
1 refrigerated pie crust
2 pounds asparagus
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon kosher salt
4 large eggs
1 1/2 cups half and half or milk
1 lemon, zested
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon fresh chopped dill
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Unroll the pie crust into a pie plate. Fold the edges for the dough under itself so it fits well in the dish. Crimp the edges using your fingers or a fork. Use a fork to pierce, or dock, the bottom of the pie crust about a dozen times.
Line the pie crust with a piece of aluminum foil and fill it with ceramic pie weights, dried beans, or pennies. Place it in the oven and bake for 15 minutes, or until the crust is just beginning to brown. Remove from oven and let cool for ten minutes. Remove the pie weights and discard the foil.
Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees.
Trim and discard the woody, tough ends off the asparagus. Cut the asparagus spears into pieces about half an inch thick.
Heat the butter in a large skillet over a high flame. Add the asparagus to the pan. Sprinkle with one teaspoon kosher salt. Cook until the asparagus are just beginning to brown and a bit tender, four or five minutes. Remove from the heat, and let cool.
Whisk together the eggs, half and half or milk, lemon zest, nutmeg, onion powder, garlic powder, and dill in a large bowl.
Scatter the asparagus and feta cheese in the the pie crust. Carefully pour the egg mixture over the asparagus and feta.
Place the quiche on a sheet pan and place it in the bottom half of your oven. Bake for about fifty minutes, or until the entire quiche is cooked through and no longer jiggly in the middle. Keep an eye on the crust, and cover it with aluminum foil if it begins to brown too much.
Remove from oven and allow the quiche to cool for ten minutes before slicing.
This recipe will yield six servings.