Week 8 - Day 3

*Find out why asparagus is one of the most nutritionally well-balanced vegetables

and what nutritional benefits come from eggs

in the Healthy Home Ec book on pages 108-109.

Gather your supplies and ingredients.

Make a pie crust dough as you did in week 7 day 5.

1. Combine the flour, salt, and raw sugar in the food processor.

See page 101.

2. Add the shortening and butter.

3. Add the ice water, 1 Tbs. at a time, until you have a smooth ball of dough.

4. Turn out onto a floured surface,

wrap in plastic wrap,

and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

While the dough is cooling, prepare the asparagus.

 To trim the asparagus, bend each piece from end to end.

It will snap in half where the tough end meet the tender top.

Discard the tough ends.

 Shred the cheese.

Gruyere is my favorite cheese for this recipe.

It has a wonderful smoky taste that is similar to bacon.

 

 Dice the scallions.

Cook the asparagus until tender but firm

and retains the bright green color.

Overcooked asparagus becomes mushy and pale green.

Cut into 1/2 inch pieces.

Keep 3 spears for garnish.

Whisk together the eggs, cream, salt, basil, and cayenne pepper.

This is one recipe where I prefer dried basil to fresh.

This is purple basil that I grew in my herb garden last year

and dried.  I stored it in a glass jar in my pantry.

When I need it, I take out a few leaves, and rub them together between my hands to crumble.

Purple basil is very aromatic and has a strong basil taste.

I love it in this recipe.

Prepare a work surface for rolling out the dough.

I use a pastry cloth sprinkled with flour.

Rub the flour into the cloth.

Take the dough out of the refrigerator

right before you are ready to roll it out.

The dough rolls out better if it is cold.

 (This is green-colored plastic wrap.)

This recipe made 2 crusts.

Roll one out; wrap the other half in plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed.

Once it's rolled out to a size bigger than your pie dish,

roll it up around the rolling pin.

Then unroll it over the pie dish.

(If you try to pick up the crust to move to the pie dish, it could fall apart.)

Flute the edges of the pie crust.

I'll be the first to admit that I don't make a lot of pies.

So don't worry if your pie crust doesn't look "store-bought perfect".

Imperfectness gives it a look of homemade.

And the taste is much better than store-bought anyway.

Bake the pie crust as directed.

Some department or cooking stores carry a plastic zippered bag

for rolling out dough.

You place the dough in the floured bag,

zip the bag, roll out the dough to the edges of the bag,

unzip the bag and place over your pie dish for the perfect round crust.

I use this sometimes, but sometimes I just prefer to roll it out and take my chances.

Toss the asparagus, onions, and flour together.

Pour into baked pie crust.

Sprinkle with shredded cheese.

Pour the egg mixture over the top.

Bake as directed.

Trim the 3 remaining pieces of asparagus for a garnish.

Finish baking as directed.

Test for doneness by placing a knife in the center.

It should come out clean.

Serve and enjoy.

Have a great day!

I wrote this lesson when we still lived in Florida.
I didn't have an asparagus patch there,
but I do here in Ohio.