Asparagus: Quiche and Salad

Lightly steamed asparagus can be used for main dishes, side dishes, soups and salads. These asparagus quiche and asparagus salad recipes are two delicious examples.

Choose asparagus the diameter of a pencil for the following recipes. Wash them and snap off the bottom of each spear where it snaps easily. This should remove any part of the stem that has gotten woody.

The dressing for the salad can be stored in the jar in which it is made. Be sure to refrigerate it, and keep plenty on hand for building a quick asparagus salad any time.

Asparagus Grapefruit Salad

• 2 cups mixed spring salad greens
• 1/4 pound asparagus
• 1 can grapefruit sections (in this recipe, canned grapefruit is much easier to use than fresh!)
• 1/2 cup walnuts

Dressing

• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons raspberry vinegar
• Sugar and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. Cut asparagus in 1-inch pieces.
2. Lightly steam asparagus till they are emerald green and still crunchy.
3. Cool quickly by covering with ice.
4. Drain grapefruit and tear sections into pieces.
5. Chop walnuts and toast 10 minutes at 350-degrees.
6. In a large bowl, toss together greens, chilled asparagus, grapefruit and toasted walnuts.

Dressing:

1. Place lemon juice, olive oil and raspberry vinegar in a small glass jar with a lid.
2. Shake well.
3. Add sugar and freshly ground black pepper to taste (shake again!).
4. Dress salad just before serving.

Asparagus Bacon Quiche

Crust

• 1/3 cup vegetable shortening or lard
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/3 cup pastry flour
• 4-5 tablespoons cold water

Filling

• 1 1/2 cups asparagus, chopped and steamed
• 1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
• 1/2 cup fried bacon, crumbled
• 1/4 cup chopped green onions

Topping

• 3 eggs
• 1 cup evaporated milk
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried

1. In a medium bowl, combine flour and salt.
2. Cut in shortening or lard using a pastry blender.
3. When mixture resembles coarse cornmeal, sprinkle in water one tablespoon at a time, mixing after each addition with a fork.
4. Mix in just enough water for dough to hold together, but not be sticky.
5. Roll out on a floured board and cut to fit a 10-inch pie plate.
6. Put crust in plate, and lay another pie tin on top of the crust to weigh it down, or use pie weights.
7. Bake at 450-degrees for 10 minutes.
8. Remove interior pie tin, or weights, and return to oven for 5 more minutes.
9. Remove crust from oven and lower temperature to 425-degrees.
10. Combine asparagus, Swiss cheese, bacon and green onions. Pour into crust.
11. Beat together eggs, milk, salt, pepper and rosemary. Pour over vegetables.
12. Set on a cookie sheet (to prevent overflow in oven) and bake for 15 minutes.
13. Reduce heat to 350-degrees and bake until set in the middle and browned, about 25 more minutes.
14. Remove from oven and cool 10 minutes.
15. Slice and serve.

Asparagus spears

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