Monthly Archives: September 2010

        
That’s a bit of a tongue twister.
        There’s nothing like coming home from a long day driving to and fro in the car to dinner someone else has planned and shopped for. That happens frequently around here. I often return from some exploit to find that my fiance’s mom (out hostess for the summer) has already picked out something to make for dinner, and maybe even obtained the ingredients.
        Yesterday it was two frittatas from two different cookbooks in her kitchen. She had gathered all the vegetable components from Beth’s Farm Market. Kale, zucchini, basil, and tomatoes lay piled on the counter. At that point we took on the cooking together: one frittata each. I took the zucchini frittata with a fresh tomato and basil sauce and my cohort tackled the kale and mushroom frittata. We decided where to follow the recipes and where to improvise. Then we washed, chopped, chopped some more, cracked, beat, sauteed, poured, sprinkled, and finally, baked.
        The results were delicious! I have always been a big fan of frittatas. They are such an excellent way to incorporate fresh veggies and rich flavors into a protein-packed meal. These were no exception. They were vegetarian, healthful, filling, and mouth-watering. I usually improvise with the leftovers in the fridge when I make frittatas but it is nice to follow a recipe once in a while and maybe pick up a new component. In this case, the tomato-basil-balsamic vinegar concoction served as a topping for the zucchini frittata was something I never would have thought of adding. It complemented the eggy zucchini-ness nicely and was bright and colorful.

Summer Garden Frittata (adapted from The Complete Cooking Light Cookbook)

2 large tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup (or more!) chopped fresh basil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
3 egg whites, lightly beaten*
3 eggs, lightly beaten*
1/2 cup diced red potato (or whatever leftover starch you have on hand)
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 cup chopped leek
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups diced zucchini (really, you can cram in as much zucchini as you want)
Feta cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
Combine the tomatoes, basil, and vinegar; set aside (I put it in the fridge to chill)
Combine the eggs and egg whites. Add salt and pepper to taste.
In a large, oven-safe skillet, saute onion and garlic in olive oil until starting to brown
Add zucchini and cook until tender
Add the egg mixture, spreading it evenly around the vegetables
Cook for 5 minutes on medium-low heat, or until the center is almost set
Sprinkle top with feta cheese
Bake in a 400 degree oven for 10 minutes, or until the center is set and the cheese begins to brown.
Serve topped with fresh tomato basil sauce

Kale and Mushroom Frittata (adapted from Better Homes and Gardens Healthy Family Cookbook)

1/4 cup vegetable broth or water
2 cups shredded kale
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1/4 cup chopped onion
3 egg whites, lightly beaten*
3 eggs, lightly beaten*
1/4 cup fresh basil
1/4 cup fresh thyme
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
Bring broth or water to a boil in a medium sized saucepan
Add Kale, mushrooms, and onion; cook until tender then drain
Beat eggs and egg whites with thyme, basil and a dash of salt and pepper.
Preheat an oven-safe skillet over medium heat
Add the kale mixture to the skillet; add eggs
Cook for 5 minutes on medium-low heat, or until the center is almost set
Sprinkle with cheese
Bake in 400 degree oven for 10 minutes, or until the center is set and the cheese begins to brown

* I combined 6 eggs and 6 egg whites in one big bowl for both recipes. After beating them all together I poured them into two identical plastic containers to make sure each frittata got it’s fair share of eggs.

        After dinner we ventured outside in search of the cats. We found Monster on my fiance’s motorcycle, looking perfectly at home and ready to speed off down the road. Oh Monster.