Asparagus & Fontina Quiche

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Wash and dry the fresh produce. Trim off and discard the root end and upper, dark-green leaves of the leek. Halve the leek lengthwise; thoroughly rinse between the layers with cold water. Small dice the leek. Cut off and discard the root ends of the scallions; thinly slice. Snap off and discard the tough, woody ends of the asparagus; cut the asparagus into ¼-inch pieces, leaving the pointed tips intact. Remove and discard the Fontina cheese rind; grate the cheese. Quarter and deseed the lemon. Peel and mince the shallot to get 2 tablespoons (you may have extra); place in a small bowl with the juice of all 4 lemon wedges.

In a large pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add half the spinach; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 2 to 4 minutes, or until wilted. Transfer to a strainer; hold or rest the strainer over a bowl. Using a spoon, press down on the cooked spinach to release as much liquid as possible; discard the liquid. Transfer the drained spinach to a cutting board; finely chop. Rinse and wipe out the pan.

In the pan used to cook the spinach, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium until hot. Add the leek; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 2 to 3 minutes, or until softened. Add the scallions and asparagus; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 1 to 2 minutes, or until softened and fragrant. Remove from heat.

While the vegetables cook, season the shallot-lemon juice mixture with salt and pepper to taste; slowly whisk in 2 tablespoons of olive oil until well combined. Set aside. Crack the eggs into a large bowl; beat until smooth. Whisk in the milk and Fontina cheese; season with salt and pepper. Add the chopped spinach and cooked vegetables; stir to thoroughly combine.

Place the pie crust on a sheet pan, leaving it in its tin. Carefully pour the filling into the pie crust; top with half the goat cheese (crumbling before adding). Bake 26 to 28 minutes, or until the crust is browned and the filling is set and cooked through. Remove from the oven and let stand for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Just before serving, in a large bowl, combine the remaining spinach, remaining goat cheese (crumbling before adding) and enough of the vinaigrette to coat the salad (you may have extra vinaigrette). Toss to mix; season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a serving dish. Serve with the baked quiche. Enjoy!