Beck over at Frog and Toad is tackling Asparagus

So I thought I'd post the recipe NATURE GIRL made yesterday to take to a birthday party for some grown up friends Andy and Ariane.

Asparagus quiche tarts

The pastry

1 1/3 cup flour - unbleached all purpose in this case
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
1 stick unsalted butter cut into tiny bits - this is best if it is very cold - we keep it in the freezer.
ice water 3 tbsp to start then more if you need it

Preheat oven to 450
Mix together the flour, salt, sugar
Cut the butter into tiny bits and add to the flour. Use a pastry cutter to blend it all together
Add the ice water and stir it into a ball
Gently pat it into a ball and put it on a floured work surface. Flour it and flour your rolling pin and roll it thin.
Don't touch too much! Pastry hates your hands!

Take a muffin tin and turn it upside down, cut the pastry into rough squares and drape over the upturned cups of the muffin tin prick with a fork

Bake 8 minutes

While they bake make the filling -

cut asparagus into 3 inch pieces and steam
mix together 3 eggs 2/3 cup cream
1/2 cup of parmesan cheese - grated
1 tbsp snipped up tarragon leaves

Get mom to flip them over onto a cookie tray and use a tbsp to add your quiche mix while they're hot
turn down the oven to 350
put 2 asparagus pieces in each cup
shake a bit of salt on each tart
put it in the oven for 20 minutes

While it cooks, eat all the left over asparagus with mom with lemon juice and a bit of salt.

Give to Ariana and Andy and make sure you get to eat one too!