Asparagus Cheddar Quiche

I wanted to make something savory tonight - the first thought was to make another massive batch of the mini spinach calzones for the freezer, but that was going to take more time than I have with the dough rise time and kneading that would be required. I already had asparagus and eggs and remembered this coming up on my feed reader within the last week or two. Theirs is much prettier than mine, but goodness did mine taste good. Really... the little hint of nutmeg and the onions make all the difference. Its a deeper savory taste and really easy to come together.
I found the recipe here and it is apparently from a NY restaurant called Bubby's (Carolyn - you should check this out... or more importantly WE should check this out the next time I'm in the city).

ASPARAGUS-CHEDDAR QUICHE (from Bubby’s Homemade Pies by Ron Silver and Jen Bervin)
MAKES ONE 9-INCH SINGLE-CRUST PIE
“This is a light luncheon quiche to showcase the pencil-thin new spring asparagus.”

Pastry for a 9-inch single-crust pie, par-baked and cooled in pie tin (recipe follows)
1 1/2 pounds asparagus, root ends snapped off
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups finely diced yellow onions
1 cup heavy cream (I used half and half for the sake of my newly trim figure and I may try milk next time)
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Pinch ground nutmeg
2 cups grated sharp white Cheddar cheese, divided

To par-bake the crust: Refrigerate the fully formed, crimped, uncooked crust for at least 20 minutes. Before baking, dock the bottom of the entire crust with a fork. Line the inside of the crust with parchment or foil and fill it with dried beans or pie weights, spreading them evenly all the way up to the top edge. Bake at 450° F for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the edge looks blonde and lightly blistered. The bottom of the crust will look partially cooked and there may still be some translucency to the dough. Carefully lift out the liner and weights. Cool the crust completely on a rack or trivet.

Blanch the asparagus in salted boiling water until tender. Drain it and shock it in cold water to stop the cooking process. Set aside to cool and dry off.

Melt the butter in a medium skillet and sauté the onions until golden; remove from the heat. Whisk together the cream, eggs, salt, pepper, and nutmeg in a medium bowl and add the onions.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Line up the asparagus by the tips and cut off the tips whole. Slice the rest of the stalks into ¼-inch pieces. Put the asparagus in the bowl with the eggs and 1 ½ cups of the cheese. Mix well and pour into the pie shell. Arrange the tips concentrically on top and sprinkle with the remaining ½ cup cheese.

Bake on a lipped baking sheet for about 30 minutes, or until the center is set and jiggles slightly when shaken gently. Do not overbake.

Cool the quiche on a cooling rack for at least 20 minutes before cutting. Serve warm or at room temperature. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

I nixed the butter altogether - partly because I don't cook with butter much these days and partly because I just wasn't reading the recipe as closely as I should have. I cooked up the onions in a little bit of pam which made them drier, but it also means less fat for me. They still tasted great and had a good flavor.
Note: I used a frozen pillsbury pie crust from the freezer section of the grocery store. Don't judge me. Really - I can make a mean pie crust when I have time and patience... but seeing that I don't really have either of those things right now... I stuck with the frozen no-frills variety.