As each season rolls around, I wrap it around me like a blanket, thinking: ‘this is my favorite season’.
Summer with overflowing abundance and sunshine.
Fall with the smell of harvest in the air, a promise fulfilled.
Winter, a time to pull back and quietly replenish.
And now spring. From the unfurling of tender new leaves on stiff branches, to daffodils poking sunny heads up through the snow to greet the return of longer days, spring sings new growth, hope, and possibilities. The transition to spring is startling in our back yard, which sleeps in the shadow of a steep hill for most of the winter. As our gardens feel warm sunshine slip across them for the first time in months, they wake up and stretch out new tendrils of growth with wild abandon. Except, notably, two large, stubborn plants in raised beds.
A few years ago, I planted two adolescent artichoke plants I’d found at a local nursery. I’d had a hankering to plant artichokes for a few years, knew they grew well in fog belts south of us, and was convinced they would thrive in our backyard. I watched as they grew long silvery-green leaves, capturing new territory in the garden each year, but searched in vain every month for signs of any actual artichokes. Finally, after much thought last fall, we put them on probation. The plants were large, and will ultimately take up significant real estate; the rent would be due in the spring or face eviction.
Last week, I tramped up the stone stairs leading to the garden for the bazillionth time to check on the recalcitrant artichoke plants. I bent over the larger of the two, figuring it my best bet, and there at its base, nestled in a soft cocoon of foliage, was a tiny artichoke globe. I couldn’t believe my eyes.
I raced back down the stairs to call to Myles. Whatever he was doing couldn’t possibly be more important than this. Then over the weekend, more good news: we’re having twins. The second artichoke plant is starting to produce a tiny globe of its own.
It’s such a small thing, I know, but I’m just ridiculously over the moon about these little artichokes finally appearing after all these years. Spring is the season of hope indeed; this is my favorite season.
I’ll post some artichoke recipes soon, but I wanted to open the spring with a vegetable that for me is synonymous with spring at my local farmer’s markets: asparagus.
Spring Asparagus Quiche
Ingredients
Quiche Pie Shell
- 5 ounces all-purpose flour
- 4 ounces unsalted butter, very cold, sliced into 1/4″ sections
- Pinch kosher salt
- 1/2 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons ice water, or more for the dough to come together
Quiche Filling
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 leek, sliced in half lengthwise, thinly sliced horizontally (about 1 cup)
- 2 tablespoon shallots, minced
- 1 cup chopped asparagus (about 3 asparagus)
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
- 1/4 cup chevre
- 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup whole milk
- 1 teaspoon mustard (I used Dijon)
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon chives, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 – 4 grinds of black pepper
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
- 5 asparagus whole, sliced in half lengthwise
- Olive oil
- Lemon juice
Instructions
Quiche Shell
Place the flour and salt into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse a couple of times.
Add the butter all at once and pulse about 10 times until the butter is the size of small peas. Add the vinegar and 2 tablespoons of water and pulse a few times. Test the dough by pinching it. If it sticks together well when pinched, you’ve added enough water. If not, add additional water.
Dump the dough mixture, including loose flour, onto a work area. Fraisage, or smear the dough with the palm of one hand. Do this three times. This helps to create the layers of a buttery crust.
Form into a disk, wrap in wax paper or plastic, and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Roll out to 1/8″ thickness between two pieces of wax paper. Place in a quiche dish or pie plate. Chill until you’re ready to bake.
See photos and a more detailed explanation in my post on making a fool-proof crust, also found in the Pantry Section of the this blog.
Preheat the oven to 425 F. ‘Dock’ the shell by pricking the bottom of the shell with a fork numerous times. This helps prevent the shell from billowing upwards off the dish/plate in the oven. Bake the shell for 10 minutes. It will be very lightly browned. If the pastry starts to billow up, just poke it a few more times with the fork, and press it down with a towel. Another option is to ‘blind bake’ it by filling it with pie weights or dried beans to weight it down.
Quiche Filling
Preheat the oven to 350 F.
Melt the butter in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add the leeks, shallot, and chopped asparagus to the pan and saute until the leeks begin to soften. The asparagus will be only slightly tender at best. Spread on the base of the quiche shell.
Combine the eggs, cheeses, milk, mustard, lemon zest, chives, salt, pepper and thyme in a medium bowl. Whisk until thoroughly mixed. Pour over the sauteed vegetables.
Toss the asparagus spears that have been sliced in half lengthwise in a little olive oil and lemon juice and arrange across the top of the quiche.
Bake for 40 minutes or until set. Remove from the oven and let sit for 15 minutes before serving. This additional sitting time helps the eggs to set up.
Exciting re your artichokes! We love asparagus quiche – ’tis the season for certain.
It’s so silly, I know, but I’m really so excited about these little guys showing up
I adore spring asparagus. Quiche is a wonderful way to show them off!
My too. Strawberries and asparagus are two things that really says spring to me.
Sweet Artichoke story! Congratulations
Thanks
I love your artichoke story and can SO relate to the feeling of “wrapping each season around me” … but asparagus, oh. I long for spring and the taste of asparagus, the new growth in the garden, the daffodils. I get just giddy over silly little things like flowers appearing.
BTW, I loved this so much, I pinned it to the BEST food blogger recipes board: http://pinterest.com/bachelorsgrill/best-food-blogger-recipes/
Thanks so much Ann!! Wow, I really appreciate it. If you make this quiche, I hope you like it as much as we have!
What a wonderful recipe and gorgeous picture!
Thanks Ashley!
Oh how beautiful, stunning photo’s, been in the mood for a quiche. Congrats on the artichoke twins!! How lucky you are to have those beautiful veggies growing in your garden.
I didn’t grow up in an area where growing these would have been even remotely possible, so it’s always so miraculous to me to see them growing in the fields. It’s like I thought they magically emerged in the grocery warehouse
Love the post. And the baby artichokes!
Thanks Simone! I visit my ‘twins’ in the garden patch every day
Beautiful quiches!!! I love your styling
And congrats on your first artichokes…I’d be over the moon, too!
Well the Gods at the photo sites didn’t share your love of my styling, LOL. But I was happy with it, but am even more excited about my ‘twins’:-)
Awww, so pretty!!! I remember watching Jamie Oliver make a pretty quiche, and said I need to do that:-) Now I really need to make it, I love asparagus so much:-) Beautiful! Take care, Terra
Thanks Terry!! What I like about this one is that it doesn’t have any heavy cream in it. Hope you give it try
And thanks for stopping by.
I agree completely with your sentiments – each season is my favorite for unique, wonderful reasons. The newness of spring is incredibly lovely and your baby artichokes are evidence of it. Your quiche is beautiful, too!
Thanks Hannah! I go visit my little artichokes every day. It’s amazing how much they grow each day.
This looks so yummy!