Ham, Asparagus & Gruyere Quiche

This is my all-time favorite quiche recipe. I've been using it ever since we moved to Peoria. I discovered it one Easter while looking for recipes for left-over ham.

It reminded me of the quiche Lorraine my mom made a few times when I was in elementary school and studying different cultures. I was reporting on France and had to bring a dish from that country.

In many ways, this meal also reminds me of an Italian "pizza rustica" that my family makes for Easter. It is filled with sausage, prosciutto, eggs and mozzarella cheese.

This quiche has a rich flavor from Gruyere cheese but a light, airy texture. I was craving it recently so I bought a small spiral sliced ham and some asparagus. You can use store-bought refrigerated pie crusts or make your own from scratch. Both work equally well, but be sure to pre-bake the crust so that it doesn't get soggy.

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Ham, Asparagus & Gruyere Quiche
Inspired by this recipe from Simply Recipes.

1 pie crust
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium shallots, thinly sliced
10 ounces asparagus spears, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 cups (about 8 ounces) Gruyere cheese, grated and divided
1/2 pound ham, diced
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
3 large eggs
Fresh ground pepper

Roll out pie dough and fit into a 10-inch pie plate. Press down into bottom. Chill in freezer while oven preheats to 350 degrees.

Line pie crust with parchment paper and fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven, cool for 5 minutes and then remove weights and parchment. Poke bottom of crust all over with a fork and return to oven for 10 minutes or until lightly golden.

Transfer pie plate to a wire rack to cool while you make the quiche filling. Raise oven temperature for 375 degrees.

Heat oil in a 12-inch skillet. Add shallots and cook, stirring often, until shallots are translucent but not brown. Add asparagus and cook and stir for another 10 minutes, or until asparagus begin to brown.

Remove pan from heat and set aside.

Sprinkle 1 cup of the cheese into bottom of pie pan. Spread asparagus and shallot mixture on top of the cheese. Sprinkle ham evenly over the vegetables. Top with the remaining 1 cup cheese.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, cream and eggs. Season with ground pepper. Slowly pour egg mixture into pie plate, evenly covering the cheese.

Place quiche into oven. Position a baking sheet on the rack below the quiche to catch any drippings. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until quiche is set in center and lightly browned on top. Cool for 15 minutes before slicing.

Wrap leftovers in plastic wrap and refrigerate. This tastes delicious served warm or cold.

Hearty Egg Casserole

If you've never tasted a farm fresh egg, you haven't lived.

I didn't know this until my former co-worker Kevin started raising chickens. He often shared extra eggs with those of us on staff who wanted them. The flavor is so good that there is no need to add  anything — the eggs can easily stand on their own.

It's like the difference between a tomato from the garden and one you buy in the grocery store. No comparison. Fresh eggs from chickens that eat a varied diet and roam free pack a richer punch to the palette.

So I didn't think it was possible to get farm-fresh taste from grocery store eggs. Not so! The folks at Blue Sky Family Farms asked us to give their free range, organic, humanely raised eggs a try.

These beauties are the real thing. The shells are harder, the yolks are a deep orange color and the flavor tastes like eggs should.

We tried these brown eggs by themselves in scrambled and fried versions. The eggs are light and fluffy and simply delicious. They'd also be perfect for Soft Boiled Eggs or Spring on Toast.

My brother Greg happened to be visiting when the Blue Sky Family Farms eggs arrived, so we decided to use a dozen in a casserole, We wanted to see how the eggs hold up when baked with cheese, potatoes, sausage and tomatoes. Greg is always experimenting in the kitchen and gets the credit for this recipe. You can serve this egg bake at breakfast, lunch or dinner, with toast, fruit or even a green salad.

Finally, if you're not raising your own chickens or don't have access to farm fresh eggs, you can find Blue Sky Family Farms eggs at many grocery stores in Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Ohio and Kentucky.

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Hearty Egg Casserole

1 15 ounce can sliced white potatoes
1 dozen eggs
2/3 cup half and half
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 to 1 cup cooked sausage crumbles
1 brick of Gruyere cheese, sliced (between 1/2 pound and 1 pound)
2 tomatoes, sliced
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9-by-13 inch baking pan with butter or cooking spray.

Place sliced potatoes in a singe layer in bottom of pan. Sprinkle sausage on top of potatoes.

Crack eggs into a medium bowl, add half and half and salt and pepper. Whisk together until yolks are broken and incorporated into mixture. Pour eggs into pan over sausage and potatoes.

Lay slices of Gruyere evenly in pan.

Top with sliced tomatoes. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Place in oven on middle rack and cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until casserole is puffed and light browned on top.

Let cool for about 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Blue Sky Family Farms free range eggs are packaged in the pretty carton above.

Herbed Egg Bake

We like to eat breakfast for dinner (brinner!) every now and then and I'm a big fan of egg bakes.

For the past few years I've been on a quest to achieve a quiche-like consistency without using heavy cream and a crust. After a recent visit from my parents — during which we ate many bagels topped with cream cheese and the smoked salmon they brought back from their Alaska excursion — my fridge was overflowing with tubs of cream cheese in several flavors (garden, onion and chive, etc.)

So I began experimenting with baked eggs again. I've tried whisking cream cheese into eggs before scrambling them or baking them, but could never quite get that fluffy custardy texture.

Until now. Thanks to Epicurious.com I know the trick: Mix the eggs and cream cheese together with milk in a blender.

This egg casserole is simple to prepare and also makes for a great brunch dish. The leftovers taste delicious cold or warmed in the microwave.

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Herbed Egg Bake

2 cups shredded cheese (cheddar, Gruyere or Swiss work well)
1/2 cup chopped fresh herbs, such as chives, basil, parsley, oregano (Use one kind or a mixture)
10 large eggs
6 to 8 ounces cream cheese, plain or the flavor of your choice
1 and 1/2 cups milk
1 teaspoon ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter or use cooking spray to coat a 13x9x2 inch pan or a 2 quart baking dish.

Spread cheese and herbs evenly over bottom of baking dish.

Crack eggs into blender. Add milk, cream cheese, pepper, salt and nutmeg. Pulse or blend until smooth.

Pour egg mixture over cheese and herbs in baking dish. Place in middle rack of oven.

Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until egg bake is lightly browned, puffed and set in the middle. Let cool for about 10 minutes before serving.