With the coming of Spring we have eggs… Why? The simple answer is that chickens lay more eggs in the spring. Why? More light and lots of other reasons we don’t need to get into.

We also bring on the first of the fresh vegetables we have been waiting for ALL winter. My favorite springtime vegetable is asparagus. My favorite things to pair with this fresh asparagus are morel mushrooms and, yes, eggs. I can recollect childhood mornings of sitting down to breakfast with a couple farm fresh over easy eggs, roasted asparagus from the patch next to the house and fried morel mushrooms that were foraged just the evening before. My thought is to combine all these fine ingredients, perhaps by channeling my inner child, into a comforting brunch-worthy quiche.

Asparagus and Morel Quiche

Ingredients:

  • Your favorite savory pie crust
  • 6 eggs
  • 3 cups heavy cream
  • 1 bunch asparagus – trimmed, cut into bite-size pieces, blanched, shocked, and dried
  • 2 cups Morel mushrooms – washed thoroughly, sliced and sautéed in 2 Tbsp. butter
  • 2 tbsp fresh chopped chives
  • Salt and pepper

Instruction:

  • Preheat oven to 375F
  • Roll out your pie crust and put it in either a springform pan or a deep pie dish
  • Gently prick the bottom of the crust with a fork
  • Lightly press a sheet of aluminum foil on the top and sides of the crust. Place some rice or beans over the foil.
  • Place the crust in the oven. After 10 minutes, remove the beans/rice and foil and discard
  • Check the doneness of the crust and place it back into the oven until it is lightly and browned and mostly cooked
  • While the crust is baking, whisk your eggs until smooth, then mix in the cream, asparagus, and mushrooms and season with salt and pepper
  • Ladle the egg mixture into the crust
  • Place back into the oven. Turn the oven down to 325F
  • Bake until the quiche is set but still a bit wobbly
  • Let the quiche sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before removing from the pan or slicing

Serving Suggestions: Cut into wedges and serve with a salad fresh spring greens, shaved radish and spring peas with a light lemon and chive vinaigrette.