French cuisine and quiche. One of my favorite classic dishes from the French repertoire of cuisine is this seemingly difficult, but actually quite facile dinner item. With all ingredients available in one-dish, the clean-up is simple and with the combination of the flaky, buttery crust, it almost tastes like a guilty pleasure. Mais non! It is absolutely a delicious, well-balanced option for dinner, especially in the spring when fresh vegetables are again becoming available.

In The Wall Street Journal’s “Off Duty” section each weekend, the current resident chef shares a recipe for the season. And so it was back in March, I found myself quickly ripped out and saving chef Edouardo Jordan of Salare restaurant in Seattle’s Spring Quiche recipe.  Many more of his recipes have caught my eye which indicates I know for certain where I will be dining the next time I head north.

Needless to say, the recipe did not disappoint, and with the simple preparation and fresh ingredients, a  delicious meal was savored, and then lunch for a few more days to come.

Pair with a fresh green salad tossed with a favorite homemade vinaigrette (my favorite is below), a few slices of toasted baguette, a glass of crisp white wine, and what could possibly be a better way to nourish yourself at the end of a busy day?

A Simple Spring Quiche

Simply Luxurious

Simple, quick and full of spring flavor.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 40 minutes mins

Servings 6 slices

Ingredients

  

Filling

• 3 tablespoons olive oil extra virgin
• 1 cup mushrooms Morel (ideally), but any spring mushrooms, slice into bite-size pieces
• 1/4 cup yellow onions sliced
• 1/2 cup asparagus chopped
• 3/4 cup sharp cheddar shredded
• 1/3 cup cream
• 1/3 cup whole milk
• 3 eggs
• salt
• ground black pepper freshly

Pie Crust

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter chilled
• 1 cup unbleached flour chilled if possible (leave in the refrigerator for 30 minutes)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3-4 tablespoons water very cold

Classic Vinaigrette

• 3 tablespoons olive oil quality extra virgin
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar top quality, my favorites are always thicker
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard Maille is my go-t0
• ground black pepper freshly

Instructions

 

Filling

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. in a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat, warm 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add mushrooms and cook browned and all liquid has been released, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and stir in onions and asparagus, until the asparagus is bright green (about 3 minutes). Season to taste with salt.
• Onto a baked pie crust (see recipe below or use a pre-baked pie crust), spring half of the cheese across the bottom.
• In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the cream, milk, eggs and a generous pinch of both salt and pepper. Pour sautéed vegetables over the cheese and top with the egg mixture and remaining cheese.
  
• Bake the quiche until the base sets and edges are slightly brown, approximately 20 minutes depending upon your oven. Let cool for 5 minutes.
  

Pie Crust

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Place the flour, butter (cut into small cubes or pieces), and salt into a food processor. Pulse until mixture is combined. You may also combine ingredients in a bowl until fine crumb-like pieces form with a fork or dough cutter.
• Trickle in the (ice) water until is combined, but not too compacted. Collect it into a ball and pat into a disk. Wrap the disk in plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes or until ready to roll.
• Roll the dough out and place in a pie pan. Finish the edges as desired (I use my thumb and index finger of my less dominate hand and pinch my right index finger in between the two for the edge you see in my pictures). Poke the bottom of the crust to prevent air bubbles.
• Place parchment paper in the bottom and sides of the dough in the pie pan. Place pie weights or beans on top of the parchment to hold the pie dough's shape.
• Bake for about 15 minutes until the pastry dried out and is just slightly light brown. Remove the weights and the parchment, and bake for 10-20 minutes until the shell is the beautiful brown you desire. Cool for 10-20 minutes.

Classic Vinaigrette

• Add all four ingredients into a small dish or the bottom of the dish in which you will be serving the salad. Whisk together with a fork. Place salad greens on top and toss to coat evenly.