Leek and asparagus quiche

While quiche had its most glorified time in the ’80s, there is a reason why many home cooks still are serving it up today. For me, it’s because my mother made a damn good one and it was the one of the first dishes I learned to cook. Others like it because of its simplicity: add vegetables and meat, cream, herbs and lots of eggs in a pie shell—45 minutes later, you have silk custard on a buttery crust.

While I still agree with this mindset, I recently set out to revamp my trusted quiche recipe so I can use up more of the vegetables that seem to pile up in my fridge at the end of the week. I cut down on cream and eggs to make more room for vegetables, which allows for more texture contrast in the filling. I still use a premade crust (though without a bunch of artificial ingredients in the list) for time’s sake, but if baking is your thing, by all means make your own.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 3 large leeks, cleaned and sliced crosswise
• 1 cup Gruyere, grated
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup half and half
• 3/4 cup chopped herbs (I used thyme, parsley and chives)
• Salt and pepper
• 1 pie crust (I like whole wheat)
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Method

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

Bring the olive oil to medium heat in a large skillet. When it’s hot, add the asparagus and leeks. Sauté until the asparagus is tender and the leeks are soft, about 8–10 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix half and half, eggs and cheese in a small bowl with a fork or whisk. Whisk until the mixture is uniformly yellow. Stir in the herbs, salt and pepper.

Spread the mustard across the bottom of the piecrust so it’s an even layer. Next, add the vegetables, and top with the egg mixture. Bake for 30–40 minutes or until a toothpick or fork comes out clean. ?