Asparagus Custard Tart

Spring is here! And spring means asparagus is in season. No more boring roasted or grilled asparagus, we’re going gourmet here. Now, gourmet doesn’t mean hard. Actually, while there are a few steps in this recipe (you should read it over once before actually attempting it – you’ll need to do a bit of juggling), it’s quite easy! and impressive looking. Feel free to use store-bought pie crust or even puff pastry, as in the original recipe. 

There’s just something about vegetables served as pie, or in a pie crust, that are amazing. Anyone would eat this green custard pie! And I promise you it wasn’t hard to make. Leftovers were amazing as a cold lunch the next day with a simple arugula salad.

Here’s what I did to make my life a little easier: the day before I made the tart, I prepped the asparagus and made my pie crust. That’s right, I did all that boiling and cut the asparagus and left it in the fridge. The pie crust was in a disc in my fridge. So, while worrying about baking the pie crust and making the custard, all I had to do was open up my containers of asparagus, instead of boiling and shocking. Made this MUCH easier!

A little note: my asparagus tips floated to the bottom, which made me sad. I organized them so nicely on top of the custard, but alas, I guess they were too heavy to stay on top. You might want to bake it for 15 minutes before adding the decorative tips.

What’s your favorite way to serve (or eat) asparagus?

Asparagus Custard Tart, adapted from Martha Stewart:

Ingredients:

• 1 pie crust
• 1 bunch asparagus, cut into 2-inch pieces, stalks and stems separated
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 4 eggs
• 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup shredded muenster cheese

Directions:

1. Roll out pie crust and transfer to your 9-inch pie plate.

2. Prick all over with a fork and refrigerate for 30 minutes, until cold.

3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

4. Line pie shell with pie weights or dried beans and bake about 30 minutes, until the edges begin to brown and it begins to puff up.

5. Remove weights and bake another 5-10 minutes, until the bottom dries out.

6. Remove from oven and let cool.

7. Prep an ice bath: place ice and water in a large bowl and set aside.

8. Bring a pot of water to a boil and add 2 tablespoons of salt. Add the asparagus stalks and cook for 2 minutes. Shock in ice bath. Drain when cool and transfer to food processor.

9. Add the asparagus tips and boil for 30 seconds. Transfer to ice bath. Remove and drain when cool. Toss with the olive oil.

10. Add the eggs, cream, flour, and 1 teaspoon salt to the food processor with the asparagus stalks and puree until very smooth.

11. Pour custard into crust.

12. Sprinkle with the cheese and top with the asparagus tips.

13. Bake for about 40 minutes, until the custard sets and the pie crust is browned.

14. Let cool for at least 15 minutes before serving.