Chef Josie Le Balch Makes Asparagus Quiche And Asparagus Salad

Pâté Brisee Ingredients
Makes 2 - 9" pie shells
• 3 cups all-purpose Flour • ¼ cups sugar • 1 t salt • ½ cup cold water • 12 oz (3 sticks) butter
Recipe: Cut the butter into ½" cubes and dust butter with flour. Completely chill butter. In a food processor, add the flour, sugar, and salt, and pulse to combine. Add the chilled butter and pulse lightly until the mixture resembles cornmeal. Add water a little at a time and pulse until the mixture starts to rise up on the sides of the food processor bowl. (You may not need to use all of the water). Turn out the dough on to a clean sheet of plastic wrap, press into a disc, and wrap tightly. Chill completely. Roll out the dough into two circles and line two 9-inch pie tins. Or, you can also use your favorite store-bought pie crust.
Quiche Custard Ingredients
Makes 2 - 9" pies
• 8 eggs • 1 teaspoon salt • 1 tablespoon sour cream • 2 cups half and half • ½ cup heavy cream • dash ground nutmeg
Recipe:
Whisk the sour cream until smooth. Add the eggs and salt and whisk to combine. Add the half and half, heavy cream and nutmeg and whisk until smooth. Strain mixture through a sieve, and keep chilled until you’re ready to assemble. Quiche Filling Ingredients:
• ¼ lb oven-roasted asparagus, cooked and cut into small dice.
• 1 medium onion, finely diced and sautéed • ½ lb swiss cheese, grated • ¼ lb gruyere cheese, grated
Recipe:
Preheat oven to 375°. Combine the cheeses and cooled asparagus and onions together in a bowl. Divide the mixture into two blind baked and cooled pie shells. Using your fingers or a fork, gently spread out the cheese mixture, being careful to evenly distribute it. Slowly pour the custard over, leaving about ¼ inch of pie crust showing. Be careful not to overfill. Bake the quiches until the center is set and has puffed up a bit, and the tops are lightly browned, about 45 minutes. Cool before cutting. Salad Ingredients:
• 3 large cara cara oranges
• 8 spears jumbo asparagus • 2 heads fennel, washed and thinly sliced • 1 bunch pea tendrils, washed • 1 bunch arugula leaves, washed • ¼ cup fresh fava beans, shelled

Dressing Ingredients:

• 6 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil • Juice of ½ lemon • 1 teaspoon salt • 1 teaspoon black pepper
Recipe:

1. Turn the asparagus spears over, and peel more ribbons, until you’ve used up all the asparagus. Save the bottom ends (the pieces that you’ve been holding on to) for soup or stock.
2. Using a paring knife, cut the top and bottom off of each orange. Stand each orange on one of the cut ends and slice off the peel and all traces of the white pith. At this point you can either cut the orange into sections or make wheels. A little of both look great.
3. Place the asparagus ribbons, sliced fennel, pea tendrils, arugula, and fava beans in a large bowl and gently toss with the dressing. Add the orange pieces and very gently mix together—you want to coat the orange sections with the dressing but be careful not to break them up.