Celebrating Taste WA with a Washington‑Grown Spring Quiche paired with Chardonnay

Hi all, it’s Jen, Director of Marketing for Gård. It’s pretty much always me writing the blog unless otherwise noted, but I don’t always introduce myself. This time it felt appropriate, given how this whole recipe idea unfolded.

I was scrolling Instagram recently when a video stopped me in my tracks: a crispy smashed‑potato crust for quiche that looked absolutely irresistible. I thought, Okay, that’s clever. I’ve never seen that before—and Easter is coming up. It felt like the perfect recipe to adapt with Washington potatoes and other WA‑grown ingredients for our first of two Taste WA recipe posts. So I sent it to my sister Tanya (our culinary creator and a tasting room associate at Gård Woodinville), and she immediately agreed.

We followed up with: Hempler’s Bacon White Cheddar sausage from Ferndale, Skagit Valley potatoes, Stiebrs eggs from Yelm, Beecher’s Flagship cheese from Seattle—a mix of local favorites that come together perfectly with fresh asparagus (popping up locally in the next few weeks!) for a spring quiche.

From there, the recipe took shape—equal parts experiment, sister collab, and pure Washington personality. It’s the kind of dish that feels special enough for a holiday brunch but yummy enough to make just because.

Ready to get cooking? Scroll down for the recipe, more photos, and the perfect Gård pairings to level up your quiche moment.

P.S. If you love the act of cooking and have the time and patience, try this crust! If not, no judgment—swap in a hash brown or pie crust to hold the rest of these amazing WA‑grown ingredients.

Potato‑Crust Spring Quiche

Serves: 6-8
Recipe by: Tanya Miller (crust inspired by Food & Wine)
Suggested wine pairing: 2022 Chardonnay Grand Klasse Reserve & 2020 Skal Sparkling

A scrumptious, elegant brunch centerpiece—or a light dinner that reheats beautifully. The potato crust gives you all the comfort of hash browns with the sophistication of a spring quiche.

INGREDIENTS

 

Potato Crust – inspired by Food & Wine

  • 1 ¾ lb Washington Gold or baby Yukon Gold potatoes (we used Washington Golds; baby potatoes will give you more skin and may be easier to work with)
  • 2 Tbsp kosher or sea salt
  • 2–3 Tbsp olive oil, butter, or beef tallow

Note: We added an extra ¼ lb of potatoes (reflected above) after testing the recipe. We wanted more crust to work up the sides of the pan.


Filling

  • 4 eggs
  • ¾ cup heavy cream
  • 3 Hempler’s Bacon White Cheddar sausages, quartered and sliced
  • 1 pkg sliced mushrooms
  • ~8 oz asparagus (before trimming), about 1 cup sliced
  • 1 pkg (6 oz) Beecher’s Flagship cheese, grated
  • 3 small shallots, finely diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
  • 1 tsp + 2 tsp Herbes de Provence
  • ¾ tsp garlic salt (plus more to taste)
  • Finely minced chives and/or Fresno pepper for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

Make the Potato Crust

  1. Place potatoes, 2 Tbsp salt, and enough cold water to cover by 1 inch into a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and cook, undisturbed, until fork‑tender, 25–30 minutes.Drain well and pat dry.
  2. Preheat oven to 400°F and position rack in the lower third.
  3. Generously brush a 10-inch cast‑iron skillet with 2 Tbsp oil. Add potatoes in an even layer and smash firmly using a greased flat‑bottomed measuring cup. Press the potatoes across the bottom and 1½ inches up the sides. Smooth with buttered fingers (so the potatoes don’t stick), press up the sides, and patch as needed.
  4. Brush crust with 1 Tbsp oil and sprinkle with 1 tsp salt. Bake until edges are golden and crisp and the center is lightly golden, 35–40 minutes.

Prepare the Filling

  1. While the crust bakes, sauté the sausages over medium‑high heat until caramelized. Transfer to a medium bowl.
  2. Add a tablespoon of fat to the same pan. Sauté mushrooms over medium‑high heat until golden. Add a pinch of garlic salt, shallots and 2 tsp Herbes de Provence; cook a few minutes over medium‑low. Add garlic and asparagus; cook 1 minute. Taste for seasoning. Transfer mixture to the bowl with the sausage.
  3. In a bowl or pitcher with a pour spout, whisk eggs to break the yolks. Add heavy cream, 1 tsp Herbes de Provence, and garlic salt. Whisk to combine.

Assemble & Bake

  • Remove the crust from the oven. Sprinkle half the cheese over the bottom. Evenly distribute the sausage‑vegetable mixture.
  • Slowly pour in the egg mixture until it sits just below the top of the crust. Add remaining cheese.
  • With an oven mitt, carefully return cast iron pan to the oven and bake until the center is set and a paring knife comes out clean (internal temp 165–180°F).

Rest & Serve

Let quiche rest 20 minutes before slicing. Garnish with chives and/or fresno peppers. Serve with a chilled glass of Chardonnay or a bubbly pour of Skål!

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