When chives and asparagus begin to poke themselves up through the still-cool earth of your garden, you know that spring has really arrived. Although you can't beat asparagus unadorned (even raw for that matter), here it is in pastry, a taste of spring fit for a country king.
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
To make the crust: Roll your prepared pie crust dough into a 12" to 13" round, and place it in a 9" pie pan, crimping the edges. Partially prebake the pie crust for 20 minutes while weighed down with pie weights, then remove it from the oven. Keep the oven at 375°F.
To make the filling: While the pie crust bakes, cut the asparagus into 1" pieces on the diagonal.
Mince the chives and set aside. Beat together the eggs, flour and buttermilk.
Pour a bit of custard on the bottom of the pre-baked crust to seal it and keep juices from soaking in. Add the asparagus and chives, saving some asparagus tips to decorate the top.
Sprinkle the cheese over the asparagus and chives. Pour the remainder of the custard over the whole thing and place asparagus tips, in spoke fashion, around the outside edge; this makes a nice garnish.
Bake the quiche for 35 to 45 minutes, or until the custard is firm and a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Remove the quiche from the oven, and serve warm or at room temperature. Refrigerate any leftovers.
