frittatas!

[MarcO]

Eggs. We all love them. For those of you who have yet to discover the wonders of an Italian frittata, allow me to provide a couple of tips and pointers.

Firstly, think of it as a glorified omelette. Whereas an omelette is folded or rolled, a frittata is almost like a skillet pie. The real trick to it is the flip-over.

Besides the requisite base of beaten eggs (duh), frittatas generally require 3 elements: a starch (rice, bread, pasta, potatoe - leftovers are perfect here), a cheese, and a filling (vegetables, meats, both with herbs of your choice).

The possibilities are endless: swiss cheese, ham and potatoes; feta cheese, olives and rice; parmesan cheese, prosciutto and spaghetti noodles; goat cheese, smoked salmon and baby potatoes; etc etc.

For a good frittata you need an excellent non-stick skillet with a lid.

Here's one of my favorite frittatas. As a member of the Hamilton area's Plan B Organic Food Share, we receive copious amounts of greens all Summer long: kale, baby kale, spinach, broccoli rabe, green onions etc. This is a wonderful way to use these up and get them into your diet. This recipe will feed two for dinner and provide leftovers for the next day (often even better than the dinner serving):

MarcO's Green Dream Frittata

8 eggs, beaten with a dribble of milk + s+p

1/2 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese

minced garlic

greens (spinach, kale, collard greens, broccoli rabe, whatever + minced green onions + minced basil)

2-3 small potatoes (or 1 large) thinly sliced (cut them into half-circles if needed)

butter, oil

1. saute your greens in oil, garlic and the green onion so they wilt, set aside

2. heat small amt of butter + oil in pan (you don't want to go crazy but you want to ensure the eggs don't stick to your pan)

3. add potatoes, cook until tender.

4. add sauteed greens back into pan, mix w/ spuds

5. whisk up eggs with parmesan cheese and s+p - add directly into the pan (medium heat) with the potatoes and greens, mix through as it sets to evenly distribute the filling(s); use spatula to allow bottom to fully set (but not burn) - put the lid on now to allow top of frittata to begin to set.

6. the tricky part - once the bottom is fully set, you need to flip it: slide it right out of skillet and onto a flat plate or pan - turn the skillet upside down onto plate or pan and flip the whole thing over: now the set portion of the frittata is on the top of the pan and the other side can set. Back on the stovetop until both sides are set.

7. cut into as many wedges as you deem fit (I usually do 8) and serve hot, room temperature or cold. I prefer room temp to cold.

I like a simple salad and a glass of white wine for this at suppertime. Also makes for a lovely mid-afternoon brunch item. Leftovers are excellent cold and this particular frittata goes nicely inside pita bread with fresh tomatoes and lettuce the next day.

Of course, this recipe works for any combo of ingredients. The real trick is the flip-over.

Mmmmmmmm eggs............

[Davey Boy 2.0]

we use a cast iron pan and just stick under the broiler instead of flipping it

interesting leftover ideas though, mon ami

[Birdy]

i'm a fan of a more mexican frittata (with a broiled top.) diced green chilies, mj cheese, tomatoes and onions.. served with homemade salsa = yummy.

Edited March 29, 2006 by Guest
forgot the cheese!