Asparagus Torte

The 3 recipes I used from Heaven's Banquet today were: Asparagus Torte, Prebaked Single Pastry Crust & Partially Baked Crust. This was a bit like a science experiment because you refer to 3 recipes for one crust. The good thing is it's crystal clear for anyone who has never tried it before. Ruth has already made these recipes (November archive) but I'll say a few words too.

The Asparagus Torte (page 68) has lots of cheesy ingredients in the filling... like a quiche does, so I managed to use some substitutions to make this a little less fattening. First I substituted homemade yogurt for the sour cream. Next I substituted tofu for the ricotta cheese. I used the recipe in Veganomicon by Isa Chandra Moskowitz for the ricotta. And lastly, I used panir instead of Monterey Jack.

The Prebaked Single Crust (page 408) says 1/2 recipe Pastry Crust, then when you go to bake you cover it with parchment and fill the pan with rice or beans to weigh down the crust, then bake. See the science experiment yet?

The Partially Baked Crust (page 409) says prepare a single crust as for Prebaked Single Crust steps 1-3. Next you bake it until it becomes crisp but not brown and then take out the rice or beans and continue to bake the bottom a bit more. So in the end you have a beautiful crust that is ready to receive the filling.

The end result is a lovely vegetable pie that is very festive looking and good to eat. Merry Christmas.