Asparagus, Shallot and Ham Tart/Quiche

Asparagus always seems like such a delicious springtime vegetable.  I usually just toss it in a bit of oil and roast it in the oven, but it's SO good in a quiche.  I have a wider, lower tart pan that I hadn't used in awhile, and so breaking it out to make a springtime asparagus quiche seemed ideal.  I added some ham underneath the shallots and asparagus, but you could just as easily leave it out.  Next time, I may just need to make two at once so we have more leftovers! Enjoy!  

Asparagus Tart/Quiche, fresh from the oven. Yum! 

Asparagus, Shallot & Ham Tart or Quiche

Line a 10" - 11" tart pan with 1/2 recipe of Kristin's buttermilk pie pastry crust.  You can roll it out as directed, or sprinkle and then press into pan with a piece of plastic wrap over your hand to avoid sticking.  If you don't have a tart pan, you can make this in a pie dish. 

Preheat oven to 425 F.

Sauté the following over medium heat 5-7 minutes: 

1 Tbsp butter

1 Tbsp olive oil

2-3 shallots, thinly sliced

1 bunch asparagus, washed, ends trimmed, and cut into ~3-4" pieces

Remove from heat and let cool while you prepare the rest of your filling. 

Dice into bite-sized pieces: 

~1/2 - 3/4 cup diced of thickly sliced baked ham (Optional - you can leave out the ham if preferred, but I recommend replacing it with something flavorful, like Boursin cheese)

In a bowl, whisk together:
~6-7 eggs (you may find you need more/less depending on how large your tart pan is)
1/4 cup milk (lactose-free works well)
salt & pepper

On top of your prepared crust, spread the diced ham.  Spread in the sautéed shallots and asparagus.

Ham topped with sautéed shallots and asparagus.

 Pour the egg mixture evenly overtop of everything.  

Evenly pour over the egg mixture, and it's ready to bake!

Bake at 425 F for 15 minutes.  Lower the oven temperature to 350 F and cook for an additional 15-20 minutes, until eggs are nicely set and crust is a nice golden brown.  Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

Wonderful served warm.  Refrigerate any leftover pieces.  You can serve chilled or warmed, but we do love leftovers of this asparagus tart warmed in a toaster oven.  Enjoy! 

Asparagus, Shallot and Ham Tart or Quiche by Successfully Gluten Free! 

Ham, Gruyere, Shallot, and Potato Tart/Quiche

This is a rich, delicious quiche that I've made many times, modifying it along the way into this version that we love.  It works well in a regular pie dish, but also works nicely in a tart pan - and makes it a bit flatter and fancier looking.  I love the buttermilk biscuit crust.  I've written the recipe so you can following and prepare it in order - it's best to prepare the fillings first, then the crust, and finally assemble the quiche before baking.  Enjoy!

A yummy ham, Gruyere, shallot and potato quiche, ready to eat! 

Ham, Gruyere, Shallot, and Potato Tart/Quiche

Inspired and partially based on a recipe from "The Williams-Sonoma Cookbook - the essential recipe collection for today's home cook" 


FIRST - Prepare fillings:

Finely grate 1 cup Gruyere cheese.  (You can use more, if you want it extra cheesy). Set cheese aside to use later.

In a medium pot, boil 1 russet potato, peeled and cut into large chunks.  Once boiled, dice into small, 1/2" pieces and let cool 10-15 minutes.

In a saucepan, saute the following until shallots are softened:
1 Tbsp butter
2 shallots, diced
1/2 tsp fresh thyme OR 1/4 tsp dried ground thyme

Add and stir in, cooking 1 minute:
diced potato, from above

Remove from heat and stir in:
3/4 cup diced ham (I prefer using a black forest ham)

Set aside the vegetables and ham.

In a separate bowl, whisk together:
1/2 cup cream 
2 eggs
pinch nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Set the eggs aside and prepare the base.


SECOND - Prepare buttermilk biscuit base:

In a measuring cup, combine to make buttermilk:
1 Tbsp vinegar
1/2 cup milk (just under, you want to have 1/2 cup buttermilk total)

In a large bowl, mix together:
1/2 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup tapioca starch
1/4 cup cornstarch OR arrowroot starch
1/4 cup potato starch
1/4 tsp xanthan gum
1 1/2 tsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda

Add and chop in with a pastry cutter, until nice and crumbly (but make sure you can still see the chunks of butter):
5 Tbsp butter

Add and mix in with a spoon:
1/2 cup buttermilk, from above

Line a 10" tart pan or pie dish with the biscuit base, using plastic wrap to help press the dough in place if it's sticking to your fingers.


THIRD - Assemble your tart:

On top of your biscuit base, spread:
1/3 cup shredded gruyere cheese

Add the potatoes/ham mixture.    Pour the egg/cream mixture evenly over the potatoes/ham mixture.  Top with an additional 2/3 cup shredded gruyere cheese.

The assembled quiche, ready to bake.  This works nicely in a tart tin, too.  

Bake at 425 F for 10 minutes.  Without opening the oven, lower the temperature to 350 F and bake an additional 20-25 minutes.   Remove from the oven.  Let cool 5 minutes before serving.  If you made it in the tart pan, you can let cool a bit longer (~20 min.) before removing from the pan and placing on a serving platter.  Enjoy!

Fresh out of the oven! 

Ham, Gruyere, Shallot and Potato Tart/Quiche Recipe by Successfully Gluten Free!

A very thin quiche, made in a tart pan, can result in some gorgeous creations.  The vegetables really get a chance to shine here, especially curls of zucchini and bright red grape tomatoes.  Sauteed leeks, kale, spinach and garlic are highlighted in clusters throughout. And, the entire quiche has little flecks of fresh chives scattered throughout, adding a delicious flavor to every bite.  This quiche was enjoyed by all - ages 3 to 85 today.  I made a more traditional quiche with a bit of cheese in it as well as this one (the crust recipe makes 2 pie crusts, so it seemed appropriate), which tasted wonderful, but I find the bubbling cheese tends to hide some of the artfully arranged vegetables.  In this case, this lovely savory tart is the perfect blend of beauty and deliciousness. A perfect recipe for all the spring vegetables! Enjoy!

A gluten-free savory vegetable tart (quiche), ready to eat! 

Gorgeous Savory Quiche (Tart)

Line a 10" - 11" tart pan with 1/2 recipe of Kristin's buttermilk pie pastry crust.  You can roll it out as directed, or sprinkle and then press into pan with a piece of plastic wrap over your hand to avoid sticking.

Preheat oven to 425 F.

Saute the following over medium heat until leeks are softening, ~5 minutes:
1-2 Tbsp olive oil
1 leek, bottom half only - sliced & rinsed
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
dash dried parsley

Add and cook until greens are wilted, but not soggy:
1/2 - 1 cup diced baby spinach
1/2 - 1 cup diced kale (mild tasting kale is preferred)
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
salt & pepper, to taste

Remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly.

Prepare the following:
1/2 - 1 small zucchini, thinly sliced the long way (for curls within the quiche)
~7 grape tomatoes, sliced in half
1/4 cup chives, sliced into 1/2" pieces
~1/2 cup sliced turkey, diced or ripped into bite-sized pieces (ham works, too)

In a bowl, whisk together:
~6-7 eggs (you may find you need more/less depending on how large your tart pan is)
1/4 cup milk (lactose-free works well)
chives, from above
salt & pepper

On your crust, spread the following in this order:
1. turkey, spread fairly evenly throughout
2. zucchini slices, use 3-4 to make several curls throughout the crust
3. sauteed leek mixture, spread in small spoonfuls throughout (this can help support the zucchini curls, if needed.
4. tomato slices, facing upright, place in groups of 2 or 3 on top of turkey or vegetables to stabilize them.
5. Carefully pour egg mixture throughout the quiche/tart.  If you feel like you might not have enough egg mixture, add in a few more eggs and then pour remaining egg mixture on top - this way you definitely have chives blended into your eggs throughout.

Bake at 425 F for 15 minutes.  Lower the oven temperature to 350 F and cook for an additional 15-20 minutes, until eggs are nicely set and crust is a nice golden brown.  Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

Wonderful served warm with fresh fruit on the side.  Enjoy!!!

It sliced perfectly, retaining the beauty of the vegetables when being served. Yum! 

Gorgeous Savory Quiche Tart by Successfully Gluten Free!