Raised on his parents’ organic farm in Capay Valley, Amon Muller once dreamed of escaping it for a seemingly simpler life in a city. But after college and stints at renowned restaurants—including Chez Panisse—he returned to the farm and ended up staying there because of a mature appreciation for tending to the land and homegrown produce. With his wife Jenna, whom he met while in San Francisco, he decided to raise his family on the farm. They launched farm dinners in 2010, which grew into a full-service event space for farm-table dinners, weddings, and more.
Here, Amon and Jenna share their spring quiche recipe from their recently released cookbook, Full Belly: Recipes and Stories from a Family Farm.
“It’s spring, a time of all things adorable. Baby lambs are bouncing around the fields, and a fresh batch of sweet chicks fills the air with their cheerful peeps. These small quiches fit well into spring’s “cute” theme. Perfect for appetizers or lunchboxes, these quiches are baked in muffin tins and filled with tender asparagus, Gruyère, and fragrant spring garlic. We partially cook the filling before adding the eggs, ensuring a perfectly balanced bite every time.” Jenna & Amon
ASPARAGUS MINI QUICHES
INGREDIENTS:
Softened butter, for the pan
1 recipe Pie Dough, chilled as directed
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
5 ounces thin asparagus, cut into ¼-inch coins (about
1 cup cut), tips reserved for garnish
6 large eggs
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup grated Gruyère cheese
PREPARATION:
Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly grease 16 muffin tin wells with butter. Roll out the pie dough on a floured surface to roughly ¹⁄₈ inch and cut into 16 rounds slightly larger than the wells of your muffin tins. We like to use the ring from a wide mouth mason jar lid to cut the dough into the correct sized circles. Press the dough into the wells, trimming any excess. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes to firm up the dough. In a skillet, warm a drizzle of olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the asparagus coins and cook for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool slightly. Remove the muffin tins from the refrigerator. Divide the filling evenly among the prepared crusts. In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, thyme, parsley, salt, and pepper. Pour the egg mixture evenly over the filling and top with the Gruyère. Top each quiche with a reserved asparagus tip for decoration. Bake until the filling is set and the crust is golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes.
Makes 16 min quiches. If you’d prefer a full-size quiche, this recipe works just as well in a 9-inch pie tin. Adjust the baking time to 35 to 40 minutes, or until the filling is set and the crust is golden. In this case you will only need one disc of pie dough.
PIE DOUGH
INGREDIENTS:
2½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
½ cup ice water
PREPARATION:
In a food processor, pulse the flour and salt to combine. Scatter the butter cubes over the flour and pulse 4 or 5 times. While pulsing, drizzle in the ice water until the dough just starts to come together. Be careful not to overmix—keeping some visible bits of butter will help create a flaky crust. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. It may look crumbly, but press and shape it together until it forms a cohesive ball. Divide the dough in half, shape each half into a disc, and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Chill for at least 2 hours.
Excerpted with permission from Full Belly: Recipes and Stories from a Family Farm by Amon and Jenna Muller, published by Hardie Grant Publishing. fullbellyfarm.com