Green Eggs and....Asparagus Torte? How About Rhubarb Torte?

Dr. Suess may have preferred his ham, but I like asparagus tortes with my green eggs. Tortes are growing in popularity among the Amish.  Last year, Lovina included a recipe for a homemade rhubarb torte in her column.  That dessert has become a fast favorite in her household, wait until I tell her about the asparagus torte Rachel and I ate last night!  The recipe calls for 10 eggs, so you'll get a lot of mileage out of the meal and Lovina will be able to use up excess eggs easily!  Rachel bought some local eggs that were green in hue courtesy of a Araucana hen. These hens can lay green or even blue-hued eggs.Take a look at how the green shell contrasts with the bright yellow yolk!  Somehow it just seemed fitting to pair green eggs with asparagus.  The torte turned out to be a delicious dinner.  Yum, take a look!  That is the torte as it came out of the oven, and below is the torte on my plate!:)

Tortes actually have their origins in German cooking, but they don't seem to have been embraced by the Amish until recently.  New foods are often introduced to the Amish who sort of embrace them and make them their own. I'm sure when I pass this recipe on to Lovina it will become popular in her household and she'll add her own twists to the recipe.

ASPARAGUS TORTE (from The Beekman - 1802 - Heirloom Cookbook)

• 2 pounds asparagus, tough ends trimmed, cut into 2-inch lengths
• ½ stick unsalted butter
• 3 large shallots, minced
• 3 green garlic stalks or scallions, thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 10 large eggs
• ½ cup heavy cream
• ¼ cup chopped fresh basil leaves
• 2 tablespoons minced tarragon leaves
• pinch of cayenne pepper
• 1 ½ cups (6 oz) shredded semi-hard cheese
• ½ cup cracker meal or crushed water crackers