MUSHROOM & ASPARAGUS QUICHE

This is from a great Basic Vegetable Quiche recipe in “Recipes from America’s Small Farms” by Joanne Lamb Hayes and Lori Stein. Really came together easily and Morgan loved it. You can sub in all kinds of veggies - just steam or blanch ones that take longer to cook. But the asparagus are popping out around here lately, as are the mushrooms and they were great together.

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup chopped onion/shallot/leek type thing (I used baby leeks)
2 big handfuls mushrooms (I used baby shiitake from the FM), sliced
splash of white wine
1 small bunch asparagus, preferably thin, thicker ends broken off and then cut into ½ inch pieces
3 tablespoons flour
salt, pepper and dried thyme
2 large eggs
1 cup milk or cream
1 ½ cups grated cheese (I used Gruyere and Fontina)

One WHOLE WHEAT PIE CRUST (SAVORY)

Make crust and chill. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large skillet, heat olive oil and butter and sauté onion until soft and lightly browned. Add mushrooms and cook until they begin to soften, then add wine and cook until it reduces a bit. Add asparagus and continue to sauté until vegetables are al dente. Stir in flour, salt, pepper and thyme to taste, then remove from heat and set aside.

Roll out pastry to an 11 inch round, fit into a deep dish pie pan and crimp edges. In a medium bowl, beat eggs until frothy. Brush a bit of egg over the crust. Beat milk/cream into remaining eggs. Layer half the cheese, the vegetables, then remaining cheese into the crust. Pour egg mixture over it. Bake for 45 – 50 minutes, until the center is set. Let sit for 5 minutes before cutting.