Spring Awakening: Leek & Asparagus Quiche



The days are longer, and the sun is trying to show who is boss.

A few more weeks to go and I will be able to wear white pants.......who made up that rule "no white before Memorial Day" anyway?

Those leeks and beautiful spring asparagus go so well together, I had to make a quiche to show them off.

This was very rich, and I am not sure if it was the heavy cream or the Comte cheese, but it turned out to be a delicious combination of flavors.

The consistency should be custard like, almost loose, like a quiche Lorraine.

Leek & Asparagus Quiche:

1 pie shell, pre-made crust is fine
a bundle of asparagus, trimmed of woody stems, & steamed (I microwave them for 2 minutes)
2 leeks, washed and trimmed
3 strips of bacon, cooked & crumbled (or 1/4 cup of diced ham)

3 eggs
pinch of nutmeg
1 cup of heavy cream or half & half
3/4 cup of Gruyere cheese, shredded
salt & pepper

Cover your pie shell with foil and blind bake your pie shell with pie weights for 12 minutes at 375 degrees.
Remove from oven and set aside.

After you have steamed your asparagus, cut your asparagus spears into 2" lengths, saving the tips for decorating the top of the quiche.

Slice your leeks into rounds and saute them with the asparagus pieces (not tips) in a heavy skillet w/ some olive oil. Cook until leeks are softening, about 5 minutes on medium heat.



Make your custard:
Whisk eggs w/ cream and nutmeg. Add shredded cheese, crumbled bacon, salt & pepper.
Transfer custard to a measuring cup for easier pouring.

Place your leeks & asparagus pieces on the bottom of the pie crust.



Pour your custard mixture over the vegetables, and decorate the top with the reserved asparagus tips.



Place on a baking sheet and bake at 375 for 30 minutes until starting to brown and puff up.



Serve with a nice green salad w/ a mustard vinaigrette.
Happy spring!



Comments

Kat said…
This looks so Springy! I have been rounding up some recipes for Easter as I am thinking about doing a brunch vs. a basic old ham. I really like the quiche and the vegetable tian! Squash and zucchini are both faves in our house. Thank you for the great recipes.
Anonymous said…
Yay! Welcome spring! That quiche looks amazing! I LOVE leeks and asparagus! Now only if the weather would welcome it, too! Haha!
kat said…
We are still a little way off from Spring here but that still looks good!
DEVOTEE said…
Stacey,
wonderfull rendition and simmetric asparagus display. I love the colourfull salad addendum ! YUMMY
DAMN this SCREAMS picnic!
Anonymous said…
Such a lovely spring dish. Perfect for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Oh by the way...who cares about the rules. I say wear white everyday! :)
Looks great! I love quiche and finally got the husband to eat it.
Foodiewife said…
That is truly one of the prettiest quiches I've seen, yet! I never thought to decorate with asparagus like that before :::hangs head, because artistic talent is not my gift:::: I just bought leeks and am going to buy fresh picked asparagus today- I was going to make a cream of asparagus soup....but...this looks a lot more tempting. I cannot get enough of asparagus!
Anonymous said…
Oh, une quiche! I so want a leek quiche but for one person, it's always a bit too much. Can I come and eat with you guys? Can't waitfor Tuesday night by the way :-)
Did you peek in my fridge? Leeks and asparagus are the only veggies I have in there at the moment. And some really old herbs - put we are going to go ahead and say those are destined for the trash. Really lovely quiche. I like how you laid out the asparagus - fancy!
LaDue & Crew said…
Another yummy work of art! Wish I had some now ;-)
The asparagus looks beautiful, I love the look of this! Almost too pretty to eat...Almost. Nice deep golden color too. You could sell these!
SarahB said…
Can't wait to go to the greenmarket for the spring veggies! Ramps and fiddleheads!!
Anonymous said…
What a truly gorgeous quiche and it looks delicious as well. Love the combo of flavors you used!
Ciao Chow Linda said…
How artfully arranged are your asparagus. This looks so inviting. You are a real pro!
Bob said…
Sorry, I'm the one who made that rule. Heh. ;) That quiche looks wicked good, I love asparagus and eggs.
The Food Hunter said…
What a beautiful quiche.
Anonymous said…
Stacey, I love this dish. The leeks frying in the pan is wonderful. I can smell them from here. I just love Leeks. Looks so good!
The Duo Dishes said…
A hearty hello to all that spring brings, especially this quiche.
Giff said…
that's one fancy looking quiche. Yum :)
Melissa said…
This is the second time I've seen one like this in as many days. Maybe I'll try my hand at it when I'm off next week. Leeks and asparagus can only equal happiness. :)
Leeks and asparagus?!?! Totally my type of cooking.
Bluebird NY said…
Fresh spring asparagus is the best, and what could better than a rich custard & cheese! Your crust looks awesome too...
noble pig said…
I love how you laid out the asparagus..it really looks beautiful.
this looks lovely - what a wonderful way to welcome spring!
Dana said…
Yours looks gorgeous! I love the long asparagus spears.
Marta said…
This looks so lovely! I don't think winter is EVER going to end here. But if it does, and we get asparagus in the markets, I'll try it ;)
That looks so good. It's the time of year to be using asparagus as much as possible.

I'm never too optimistic about spring this time of year. I believe that I shouldn't give up on the fear that it might snow until the end of April. I figure I'll be less disappointed that way if bad weather happens and twice as pleased if it doesn't!
Lori Lynn said…
What an absolutely lovely presentation. Kudos to you Stace for this one!
LL
Anonymous said…
Just came across this recipe today and it's in the oven as I type.
My only question is, what size pie crust did you use? I couldn't even fit half of the leek/asparagus mix in my crust. Maybe my leeks were oversized...Not a problem though. I'll just make a second one tomorrow :-)
I can't wait to try it.
Anonymous said…
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lkak said…
I made this last year for Easter & will make it again this year. It was a HUGE hit. Thanks for this great recipe!