Finally it is warm in Austria. Spring has been so cold and rainy this year. So, today, I have been working in garden the whole day.Digging and weeding. I mowed the lawn, sprayed the weeds with vinegar soap mixture to kill them,cleaned vegetable garden and planted some flower bulbs which I have been saving since Christmas time. Yeah I know, sounds crazy, but why throw away all those narcissus,hyacinth and tulip bulbs which came with all those spring and christmas flower baskets? Better to dig them in the soil and enjoy them next spring again!     My herb garden is a mess..Pepper mist is taking over everything and it is really hard to control. Herb garden is nothing but mint right now..   Potatoes are coming along very well.I am still having hopes to enjoy these on 21st of June when it is Juhannus (summer solstice).     I needed fast lunch and this kind of hit the spot! Asparagus Quiche with Jamon Serrano and cold Weizenbier.You know that it is important to stay hydrated when it is hot! 😉  

I did the Quiche already yesterday, so all I needed to do was to heat it up and go to the vegetable garden to pick some salad and radishes.

So the Quiche. I had some asparagus left from the weekend and some other ingredients I had to use away. I love savoury pies, all kind of.. This is a simple and fast recipe. If you don’t want to make your own dough, ready-made is fine too.

1. Overview: How to Make Basic Quiche

   Blind Bake Your Pie Crust – Quiche, on the other hand, can bake in a raw pie crust but it will likely taste soggy. So let’s partially pre-bake it, also known as a blind bake pie crust. As the pie dough bakes, its fat will melt. The melting fat causes the pie crust to shrink down the sides of the pie dish. To prevent the pie dough from losing shape, weigh it with pie weights. Carefully line the pie dough with parchment paper, then pour in pie weights or dry beans.
   Prepare Add-Ins – This includes cooking meats and vegetables, shredding cheese, etc.
   Combine Eggs & Milk/Cream – Beat together, then whisk in the add-ins.
   Bake – Pour filling into crust and bake until just about set at least 45 minutes.
   Pie Crust – Make homemade pie crust without skimp on flavor and texture. My favorite pie crust recipe is straightforward; you can make it and freeze it. One of my best baking tips is to always have pie dough in the freezer! It’s also okay to feel lazy and use ready-made dough. I do that sometimes when I am in a hurry.
   Heavy Cream,Sour Cream,Yogurt and Milk – For the best tasting quiche, combine heavy cream and another componets. (Or simply use half-and-half.) Using just heavy cream produces an overly thick filling. Whole milk is great, but a combo of heavy cream and milk is better.
   Eggs – Use 4 eggs per 1l fluids. Some quiche recipes throw in an extra egg yolk or two, but I don’t find it necessary with the ratio of ingredients in my recipe.
   Salt and Pepper – I don’t add salt to the filling if I am using a salty add-in, such as cheese or ham. However, if you are making a plain quiche, I recommend both.

For the crust

• 250 g Flour
• 140 g Butter (cold)
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1 pc Egg yolk (L) 2
•  tbsp Water (cold)

1. Make pie dough beforehand, then refrigerate or freeze until you’re ready to make the pie. Pie crust must chill for at least 2 hours before rolling out.
2. Roll it out, then fit into your 28 cm pie dish. Crimp or flute the edges.
3. Chill the shaped pie crust for at least 30 minutes. This prevents shrinking. Remember that pie dough must be cold.
4. Fill with pie weights. As the pie dough bakes, its fat will melt. The melting fat causes the pie crust to shrink down the sides of the pie dish. To prevent the pie dough from completely losing its shape, weigh it down with pie weights. Carefully line the pie dough with parchment paper first, then pour in pie weights or even dry beans. (Note: 2 packs of these pie weights is needed!)
5. Bake in 190c until the edges are lightly brown, about 15 minutes.
6. Remove pie weights, then prick the crust with a fork.
7. Bake crust for about 8 more minutes.
8. Fill with quiche filling, then bake the quiche.

For the Filling 

• 250g mini mozzarella
• 200g Jamon Serrano, shredded
• 500g white or green asparagus
• 4 eggs, beaten
• salt,freshly ground black pepper
• 250g mascarpone cheese (use light if you want)
• 2,5 dl  heavy cream

1. On the pastry base sprinkle the cleaned peeled and sliced asparagus,onion and some shredded Jamon Serrano ham (honestly you can skip it too or use something else).
2. Sprinkle the mini mozzarellas on top.
3. Combine the eggs and heavy cream with the mascarpone cheese in a bowl and season well. Stir until everything is smooth.
4. Pour the mixture over the asparagus and ham. Trim the edges of the crust. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until set. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.