Asparagus and Pancetta Quiche

We sure have enjoyed asparagus several times and continued to get it each week from the farmers market. We steamed it. We roasted it. We put it in pastas. I wanted to try something different and since I also had some extra homemade pastry, I decided to make a quiche. I referenced the Martha Stewart Everyday Food recipe for Asparagus, Leek and Gruyere Quiche, but adapted it a little by adding pancetta and I used scallions instead of leeks.

 

I took off the tough bottom of the asparagus spears, cut it on a diagonal in small pieces and sauteed it with the pancetta, garlic and onion. I could have stopped here...it smelled so wonderful.

I rolled out my pastry and placed the asparagus mixture in the crust on top of a layer of Gruyere cheese.

I mixed the egg and 1/2 and 1/2 together to pour on top of the asparagus mixture.

After baking for about an hour (and wonderful smells wafting through the house), our quiche was ready to take to our picnic in the park. 

My Favourite Thanksgiving Sides

It was a quiet and peaceful Thanksgiving dinner this year. We stayed home (which we realized hadn't done in about five years) and made a simple meal for just us and my mum. The turkey turned out perfectly, but the stuffing wasn't the greatest this year (which Sean admitted to me). I need to stick to the recipe I've used in the past! However, my favourite side dishes this year were the ever so sweet potato casserole topped with golden marshmallows (which Audrey loved!) and the sauteed brussel sprouts with pancetta.

Butternut Squash Bisque

There is this Amish farm stand in mid-Michigan that I always like to visit and get food when I'm visiting my mum. I get my maple syrup and eggs from them and this time of year they always have a bountiful selection of pumpkins, gourds and all kinds of squash. This year, I bought nearly a dozen squash and my favourite is still butternut. Each autumn I make this butternut squash bisque and it's the most comforting soup for a gray fall day like today. For this recipe, I used four squash and roasted them cut sides up draped with pancetta. The squash soaks in all the flavor from the pancetta and then I reserve the pancetta to cut up and sprinkle on top to serve. It's such a perfect combination of savoury and sweet. I have just one squash left from my trip to the Amish farm stand and I plan to use it for Thanksgiving. Audrey tried squash for the first time recently and loves it too!