1/28/2012 Basket - Turkey Asparagus Quiche, Pear & Blue Cheese Salad, and Vanilla Bean Creme Brulee

Turkey Asparagus Quiche
Uses: Asparagus, onion

Crust:

Make a pie crust using your favorite pie crust recipe, or use a store-bought pie crust like I did. Roll crust into pie plate and cook at 425 for 10 minutes. Set aside.

Filling:

• 4 strips of bacon
• 7 spears of asparagus
• 1 small onion (diced)
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup whole milk, cream, or half and half
• 1 cup diced cooked turkey
• 6 oz. Swiss cheese, grated
• 1 t. salt
• 1/2 t. pepper

Cut the bacon into small pieces and cook in frying pan. Remove bacon, reserve grease. Cook onion in bacon grease and set aside. Cut your asparagus so the spears are equal in length to the radius of the pie plate. Any excess asparagus can be diced and cooked with the onion in the bacon grease. Cook spears of asparagus in bacon grease; set aside. Warm turkey in remaining bacon grease, set aside. If you end up running out of grease, you can supplement with olive oil. Whisk the four eggs with the salt, pepper, and milk, cream or half and half, set aside.

Put the turkey, half the onion and half the cheese in the bottom of the pie crust. Pour half the egg mixture over that. Sprinkle with bacon, any extra asparagus, and the remaining onion. Top with asparagus spears radiating from center to edges. Sprinkle remaining cheese between spears, top with remaining egg mixture. Put foil on edge, or use pie shield. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until egg is set and knife comes out clean.

Pear & Blue Cheese Salad
Uses: Pear, lettuce


Wash lettuce and tear into bite-sized pieces. Top with diced red onion, craisins, blue cheese crumbles, pecans, and sliced pear. Serve with red wine vinaigrette (recipe below).

Red Wine Vinaigrette

• 2/3 cup oil
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 3 tsp sugar
• 2 tsp mustard
• 1 T finely minced shallot
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper

Combine all ingredients and shake in a mason jar to mix.

Vanilla Bean Creme Brulee
Uses: Vanilla bean

• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 cup milk
• 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
• 6 egg yolks
• 1/2 cup sugar plus 6 Tablespoons

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Heat the cream, milk, and vanilla bean (including seeds) in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat for 10-15 minutes (do not boil).

Place the egg yolks and 1/2 cup sugar in a heat resistant mixing bowl and beat until pale yellow in color and the sugar has dissolved.

Remove the bean bod from the cream mixture. Mix about half a cup of the cream mixture into the eggs and whisk to incorporate well. Slowly whisk in the rest of the cream mixture. Keep whisking until completely mixed.

Pour the custard into six (~8 oz.) ramekins and place the dishes in a roasting pan. Pour enough hot water in the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Place the pan in the oven on the middle rack and bake for 30-35 minutes, turning the pan around halfway through to ensure even cooking. To test for doneness, jiggle the pan slightly to see if custard is set. Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature, then let cool completely in the fridge for about 2 hours.

Spread 1 Tablespoon sugar over each ramekin and use a kitchen torch to caramelize the sugar (you can also use your broiler--just don't let the sugar burn). Serve once the sugar has cooled and is hard.