Asparagus Portabella Zucchini Quiche

After my last trip to the farmer's market, I still had a relatively large bunch of asparagus. Let's face it: there are only so many asparagus grilled cheeses and asparagus omelettes that I can make before I go batty. So I decided to convert some of the asparagus into a quiche inspired by the Asparagus, Morel and Ramp Quiche with Brown Rice Crust that Closet Cooking, my new favorite food blogger, had made.

Of course, when I went to pick up some mushrooms (portabellas for me!), I sidled past some zucchinis and nabbed one of those too. I figured a zucchini would be a nice little addition to the quiche as well. So now, the name of my little dish was transformed to an Asparagus Portabella Zucchini Quiche. OK, I know that's a mouthful. If it makes you feel better, you can call it "Vegetable Quiche". Then you won't have to worry about all those pesky words. And let's not talk about using the word portabella vs. portabello. The Mushroom Council uses "portabella", so that's good enough for me.

Asparagus Portabella Zucchini Quiche
heavily adapted from Closet Cooking's Asparagus, Morel and Ramp Quiche with Brown Rice Crust

• 1 pie crust (homemade or store bought - I opted for store bought)
• 3 ramps, diced
• 1 green garlic stalk, sliced
• 1 Tbsp butter/extra virgin olive oil
  
• 3/4 cup asparagus (about 10 thin stalks)
• 1 portabella mushroom, chopped
• 1 medium zucchini, sliced into rounds
• 4 eggs
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 tsp dill
  
• 3/4 cup fontina & parmesan cheese, grated
• dash of habanero sauce
• salt and pepper to taste

1) Blind bake the pie crust:

- Use a fork to prick the bottom and sides of the pie crust.
- Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes.

2) Steam or boil the asparagus for 2 minutes.
* Note: You can also saute the asparagus with the portabella and zucchini if you prefer.

3) Meanwhile, saute the ramps and green garlic in a pan with 1Tbsp butter until softened. You could also use extra-virgin olive oil in addition to or instead of the butter.

4) Add the portabella and zucchini. Saute for a few minutes, until softened. Add salt and pepper.

5) Chop the asparagus in thirds and add the asparagus to the portabella and zucchini. Mix to combine.

6) Mix the eggs, milk, 1/4 cup of the cheese, dill, and habanero sauce in a bowl. Season with more salt and pepper, if desired.

7) Pour the egg mixture over the vegetables and top with the remaining cheese.

8) Bake in a preheated 350F oven until golden brown and set in the center, about 45 minutes.

After I let the quiche cool a bit, I cut into it and it was scrumptious. The vegetables complimented each other and the eggs and cheese were so deliciously creamy. To be honest, I would have liked to have more asparagus in the quiche, but other than that, I think this experiment turned out really well!