Summer Frittata

This year I didn't plant a garden because I was expecting to have moved by this time (which hasn't happened yet), but for those of you who have, you must be just about ready to harvest your zucchini and tomatoes.  Last year at this time, I posted the summer pasta, this year I am giving you another option for those fresh veggies.  Frittatas are great weeknight meals because they are fast to prepare and can be made with a variety of veggies and cheese.  

Have you ever wondered what the difference is between a quiche, a frittata, and a strata?  The biggest difference is the starch they are made with.  Quiches are made with a pastry crust, frittatas are made with potatoes (although I have also seen them with pasta or rice), and strata are made with bread chunks.  Frittatas are great for using up the last bits of vegetables in the fridge as well as for using leftover rice, pasta, or boiled or roasted potatoes.

To deseed the tomatoes, just cut them into quarters and use your thumb to push out the seeds.

Serves 6.

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1/2 small red onion (or one leek)

2 cloves garlic

1 zucchini, cut into quarter moons

8 asparagus spears, cut into 1/2 inch chunks

1/2 pound cooked potatoes

4 tomatoes, deseeded and chopped

2 - 4 Tbsp fresh basil

9 eggs

1 cup milk

2 tsp dijon mustard

1 cup shredded swiss cheese, grated

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Sauté the onions, garlic, zucchini and asparagus until they are tender, about ten minutes.

3. Add the cooked chopped potatoes, tomatoes, and basil.

4. In a bowl, beat the eggs, milk, mustard, salt, and pepper and immediately add to the pan.  Allow the mixture to heat and set for about 3 minutes.

5. Top with the cheese and bake in the oven until set, about 10 minutes. It will still be jiggly when it is done, but when you cut it, the eggs will not run into the cut line.  If you would like it to be crispy on top, broil it for about 2 minutes at then end of the cooking time.

6. Let sit for at least 5 minutes before serving.  This is also great at room temperature or even cold out of the fridge.  You can eat leftovers on top of toast for an open-faced fried egg sandwich-type thing.

7. Enjoy!

Creamy Chard and Mushrooms on Toast with Poached Egg

Several years ago, I took a leave of absence from work to go to Vancouver and get my culinary arts diploma.  Why?  I'm not really sure, but it felt like the right thing to do at the time!  During the program, we had to do a black box test.  We were told a few ingredients ahead of time, but we didn't know which ones we would get.  All I knew was that one of them could be swiss chard.  In the past, I had sautéed it with mushrooms and balsamic vinegar as an accompaniment to my steak, but I wasn't sure how I would use it in other preparations.

The weekend before the exam, a bunch of us from class were at the house of another student when we decided to make brunch.  Each person grabbed a bunch of ingredients and made something for the communal table.  Since no one had taken the mushrooms from the fridge, and there was fresh chard in the garden, I decided to whip together my good old stand-by.  Since it was brunch, there was toast, and someone had soft-boiled a bunch of eggs.  It was then that kismet happened on my plate.  As I piled some of the chard and mushrooms onto my egg-soaked toast, the perfect medley occurred, and it was then that I knew what I would do for my black box if swiss chard were to appear.

As fate would have it, swiss chard did appear, and I invented a much more sophisticated version of that Sunday brunch for top marks.  I have since created this version, which is much more do-able for a quick brunch or light supper.

This recipe serves 2, but could easily be doubled to serve 4.

Ingredients:

4 pieces of crusty toast

4 poached eggs

1Tbsp olive oil
1 leek, washed, quartered, and chopped
8 oz of mushrooms, washed and sliced
2 large swiss chard leaves
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp dried Italian herbs
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup cream
salt, pepper
pinch of cayenne pepper

1. Remove the stems from the chard and chop finely.  In a large pan on medium-high heat, sauté the chard stems, leeks, Italian seasoning, and mushrooms in the oil until mushrooms are brown and stems are tender - about 8 minutes.

2. Put another shallow pan on the stove and fill with water, salt, and a splash of white vinegar (if desired to help keep the egg whites together).

2. Slice the chard leaves in ribbons and add then with the garlic to the pan.  Sauté on medium low until leaves are wilted and pan is dry.  Season with salt and pepper.

3. Break an egg into a small cup being careful not to break the yolk.  If the yolk breaks, save it for another use and break a new one.  When the water is simmering, slowly and carefully pour the egg into the water being careful not to break the yolk.  Add the remaining eggs in the same way.  Set the timer for 4 minutes.

4. While the eggs are simmering, put the toast down.

5. When there is about 2 minutes left in the cooking time for the eggs, add the balsamic to the chard mixture and cook until the pan is almost dry.  Add the cream, turn the heat to low and adjust the seasoning.

6. When the toast pops, put two pieces on each plate, top with the chard mixture, and an egg on each  piece of toast.  Lightly sprinkle each egg with salt, pepper, and a touch of cayenne pepper.  Enjoy immediately.

Shopping Tips:

1. Swiss chard can be red, white, or yellow at the stem.  Any one will work as there is little difference in the taste.  For more detailed instructions and pictures about using it, refer to the instructions for kale on this recipe.

2. For more information about washing and cutting leeks, refer to this recipe.

3. Go here for another recipe that uses Italian herbs and balsamic vinegar.

4. You can use whatever cream you prefer: full fat or half and half.

Options:

1. Instead of the leeks, you could use shallots or finely sliced onions (if you have to).

2. To the mushrooms, you could add diced bell peppers.

3. Instead of poaching the eggs, you could soft-boil them for 5 minutes in boiling water.

4. Instead of toast, you could put the chard mixture and the egg on a bed of whole grains.

5. Layering fresh tomatoes between the chard and the egg tastes great too.

6. As stated above, the chard mixture is great on its own with steak.