Hooray for Cheap Asparagus

Asparagus is basically an elitist vegetable, often served at upscale restaurants where you can pay

ten or twelve dollars for a glass of wine.   But now is the season when we commoners can enjoy it at bargain prices.  I used to treat asparagus with great care, steaming it for just the right number of minutes to keep it crisp and rushing it to the table before it got cold.  But when my husband brought home a bundle of it last week and requested asparagus quiche for dinner, I decided to try cooking the spears  in the microwave.  One and a half minutes was all it took. Super easy! 

Asparagus is nutritious, delicious, and versatile.  It’s wonderful as a salad—just lay some cold, cooked spears on a bed of lettuce, sprinkle them with red pimento , top with egg slices, and serve with thousand island dressing.

It is a low calorie accompaniment to any meat, poultry or fish entree. But we love it in this quiche recipe which I clipped from a gourmet magazine years ago, then modified the part where it called for home made pie crust.  I haven’t made pie crust for 15 years.  I know it’s good, but the supermarket variety isn’t that bad. 

                                                Asparagus Quiche

Unwrap a pre made pie crust in a pie plate, bake it in the oven at 400 degrees for about ten minutes until it’s dry but not brown.  (You pre bake it so it doesn’t come out soggy). Take it out and let it cool while you prepare the filling:

                                Filling: ¼ pound bacon

                                1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into half inch pieces

                                4 large or 5 medium eggs

                                1 15 oz. container of ricotta cheese (can use whole milk or low fat)

                                1 teaspoon salt

                                ¾ teaspoons pepper (unless it makes you sneeze)

                                Pinch of ground nutmeg
                                3 chopped green onions.

Fry bacon until crisp;  drain on paper towel. Chop bacon. Cook asparagus about 1 1/2 minutes in the microwave and let cool. Whisk eggs, ricotta, salt, pepper and nutmeg in bowl. Stir in bacon asparagus and green onions.

Spoon filling into crust. Bake 35 minutes at 375 degrees for 35 minutes or until filling is firm. Let cook 5 minutes, then cut into wedges. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Enjoy!