Tomato & Asparagus Quiche with Whole Wheat Crust

This tomato and asparagus quiche is perfect for any holiday or special occasion and simple enough to pull together. Fresh, tender asparagus, and juicy, heirloom tomatoes baked in a savory custard are a beautiful addition to any brunch. And makes for a satisfying, vegetable-loaded meal anytime of day. A whole wheat pie crust adds a bit more fiber. But the recipe works like a charm with all-purpose.

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• The Story
• The Ingredients
• The Ratios
• The Steps
• Storage and Reheating
• On Rolling Out Dough
• Chef's Tips
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The Story

When the spears are in season, this tomato and asparagus quiche is a beautiful centerpiece of a dish. You can prepare the crust over a couple of days. And bake the quiche the night before you plan to serve or enjoy it. It's rich and flavorful with plenty of texture from the vegetables. And with the added fiber of a whole wheat crust, you can enjoy this one without tons of guilt.

The simple whole wheat pie dough bakes up buttery, crispy, and flaky. And the ratio for the crust works with any flour you have on hand. In the absence of sliced tomatoes or asparagus, any chopped vegetables lend eye-catching color, nutrients, and most importantly, even more flavor.

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The Ingredients

This recipe is based on professional formulas for pie crust and quiche batter. It works well with a variety of flours and fat, and any of your favorite vegetables. Just be mindful to precook tougher ones like asparagus before baking them in the quiche.

For the Crust

• Whole wheat flour. If you don't have or don't want to buy whole wheat flour, all-purpose works great.
• All-purpose flour. Since whole wheat flour lacks the same binding power, I add a measure of all-purpose for a sturdier dough.
• Unsalted butter. Grass-fed or pastured butter lends a rich, golden color and more flavor than conventional. But buy what you like and what fits your budget.
• Salt. A pinch of any salt takes sweet and savory pie crust from bland to flavorful.

For the Batter

• Whole milk or heavy cream. Or equal parts of both. Half and half makes shopping simpler and less expensive if it's an ingredient you'll use again.
• Large eggs. Any solid custard recipe is based on the weight of the eggs in relation to the liquid, so size matters. With different size eggs, I recommend using a scale to weigh them out. For reference, an average large egg equals about 2.2 ounces.
• Grated Parmesan. All cheese is a friend to quiche. I like Parmesan since it complements the other Mediterranean flavors. And recommend a grated or shredded Parmesan without fillers if you don't want to grate it yourself.
• Kosher salt and ground black pepper. Use about half as much salt if you're using a table or a finely-ground salt.
• Fresh asparagus. You can use frozen asparagus tips, too. Boil and dry them just as you would fresh before baking in the quiche. Here's how to pick the best asparagus at the store or market.
• Ripe tomato. The riper the tomato, the more flavor it brings to the party. I love heirlooms when they're in season. But choose the tomatoes that look the best and are slightly tender to the touch.

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The Ratios

This is the basic, standard ratio for pie crust that every chef or professional baker relies on for success. It's called 3-2-1 pie crust, and you can put it to work for a variety of sweet and savory pies and tarts. For a standard deep dish pie or quiche, begin with 12 ounces (about 2¼ cups) of all-purpose flour.

Basic Pie Crust Ratio
3 parts flour + 2 parts fat + 1 part water

As for quiche and most set custards, two large eggs for every cup of liquid is what you need.

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The Steps

A quiche may seem like quite a process. But you can break up the steps for the dough over a couple of days. If you aren't the make pie crust from scratch type, you still want to pre-bake any store-bought pie dough to prevent the infamous soggy bottom.

1. Mix the pie dough. If mixing the dough by hand, use only your fingertips and work quickly to rub the butter into the dry ingredients. Otherwise, pulse the flour and butter in a food processor, then add the water and pulse or mix briefly to bring it all together. Shape the dough into a flat disc, wrap it in plastic wrap, and chill it for an hour or up to three days ahead.
2. Roll and parbake the pie crust. Add more flour as necessary to keep it from sticking to your surface. Transfer the rolled-out dough to the pie plate and press it in gently. Prick a few holes in the bottom and line the dough with crumpled-up parchment paper or foil. Fill it with pie weights or dried beans and bake the crust for 20 minutes before removing the weights. Then bake until the bottom is no longer shiny and turns a light golden brown.
   
   
   

3. Prep the vegetables while the crust bakes. Trim the bottoms off three asparagus spears and cut them in half lengthwise, and set them aside. Then trim off the woody bottoms and cut the rest into one-inch pieces. Boil the cut asparagus for two minutes, then drain and dry them well. Remove the stem base from the tomato, and slice it into very thin rounds.
4. Mix the batter. Combine the eggs, heavy cream, milk, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Then whisk vigorously until the batter is homogenous with tiny bubbles all over (this incorporates air into the quiche, which creates a light texture). Stir in the grated Parmesan.
   
   
   
5. Bake the batter in the parbaked crust. Immediately after taking out the crust, layer in the tomato slices and cooked asparagus pieces. Then place the pie plate back on the baking pan that's in the oven, and pour the batter in filling the shell to just below the top (you may have extra batter that you can bake in greased mini muffin tins for egg bites).
6. Bake until just set. For a 9-inch pie plate, this can take up to an hour (or a little more). When you shake the quiche, the batter should shift or move cohesively (you shouldn't see waves of movement).  If the edges of the crust begin to brown, cover them with foil or a pie crust ring. The top of the quiche will be lightly browned and will deflate a bit as it cools.

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Storage and Reheating

Quiche is a wonderful dish to bake a day ahead. When baking a quiche for clients, I begin two days before the event. Pie dough can keep in the refrigerator for a couple of days or a few months in the freezer. And a baked quiche is actually easier to cut into pretty pieces once it's completely cool. To reheat a whole quiche or individual slices, warm them uncovered in a 350° F oven. A parchment paper-lined baking pan makes for easy transfer to your plates. Store quiche wrapped loosely in plastic wrap in the refrigerator for up to a week.

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On Rolling Out Dough

These tips apply to any pie or pastry crust. The goal is to get the dough as thin and circular as possible. If the crust warms before you've rolled it to the size needed, simply pop it back in the fridge or freezer for 10 minutes. Keeping a large baking pan or plate lined with parchment paper nearby makes chilling quick and easy.

1. Let the chill come off your dough before you roll. It should give somewhat to firm pressure from your finger, but still feel cold.
2. Use flour sparingly. Sprinkle enough flour to keep your dough from sticking, but as little as possible (yes, it's a bit like walking a flour-coated tightrope). Adding a lot of flour during rolling dries out the crust, and can lead to a tough or chewy one.
3. Flatten the dough first. Press the rolling pin firmly across the dough to help flatten it out.
   
   
4. Always roll from the middle out. When you begin rolling, always start your pin in the center of the disc of dough then roll up or down. Repeat, starting in the center and rolling in the opposite direction. Aim for a circle that's at least an inch larger than the widest part of your pie plate.
5. Turn with every complete roll. Only roll once in each direction before rotating your dough with a one-fifth turn. Many recipes call for rotating the dough in 90-degree increments. But I find this leads to uneven circles and more of a square shape (not ideal when a circular quiche crust is the goal).
6. Transfer the dough with the pin. Use your rolling pin to easily transfer the large round of dough to the pie plate or pan. Simply wrap one end of the dough around the pin and roll it up like wrapping paper. Then reverse the process while holding it over your pie plate.
   
   
   
   
7. Parbake to prevent a soggy bottom and leaking. After you roll and lay your dough into the pie plate, trim the excess and shape the edges. You can also let the excess hang over the edge of the mold or plate and trim it away after baking (that's how I learn to deal with quiche working in restaurants). Then line the crust with parchment paper or foil, and fill it with pie weights, coins, or dried beans before baking.

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More Asparagus Recipes

• How to Cook Asparagus (Six Ways)
• Bacon-Wrapped Asparagus
• Marinated & Grilled Asparagus with Balsamic-Orange Vinaigrette

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