Frittata

Found this frittata recipe on epicurious.com. great for our csa veggies. you could probably subsitute (and add even more of) any greens. the chard really goes to nothing, especially when it's finely chopped. i did not use prosciutto or zucchini blossoms, and it was perfect without them. used a tiny bit of feta to make up for the saltiness lost with the prosciutto, but it was probably not even necessary. the parmesan is perfect. as this was my first frittata experience, i was afraid to be aggressive when it was cooking on the stove before the oven (recipe says to lift cooked egg to let raw egg go to bottom), but don't be afraid to shake it up a lot. it'll come out fine in the end. just watch carefully when it's in the oven so that it doesn't dry out!

Active time: 35 min Start to finish: 40 min
Servings: Makes 6 servings.

Ingredients

6 large eggs

6 large fresh basil leaves, chopped

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 oz prosciutto, finely chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 lb medium zucchini (about 3), halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices

5 medium Swiss chard leaves, stems discarded and leaves finely chopped (1 1/2 cups)

12 scallions, trimmed and finely chopped

5 zucchini blossoms*

2 oz finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (1 cup)

Preparation

Preheat broiler.

Whisk together eggs, basil, parsley, salt, and pepper in a bowl.

Cook prosciutto in oil in a 12-inch ovenproof nonstick skillet over moderate heat, stirring, until edges begin to crisp, about 2 minutes. Add zucchini and chard and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are just tender, about 8 minutes. Add scallions and zucchini blossoms and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until just wilted, 1 to 2 minutes. Pour egg mixture into skillet and cook, lifting up cooked egg around edge using a spatula to let as much raw egg as possible flow underneath, until edge is set, about 2 minutes (top and center will still be very loose). Sprinkle cheese evenly over top.

Broil frittata about 6 inches from heat until set, slightly puffed, and golden, 2 to 2 1/2 minutes.
Cool frittata 5 minutes, then loosen edge with a clean spatula and slide onto a large plate. Cut into wedges.

*Available at many farmers markets and specialty produce markets.

You can see the recipe/reviews at http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/SUMMER-VEGETABLE-FRITTATA-109668

top three!

CSA'ers.

change the title to 11 best foods you ARE eating and give yourself a pat on the back. here you are: chard, cabbage, and beets!
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/06/30/the-11-best-foods-you-arent-eating/

and a few quick suggestions for you on cooking with these three.

1) cabbage: make kraut. you get the benefits of the cabbage PLUS the benefits of the organisms you cultivate in your own kitchen. sandorkraut has a great tutorial. mixing red and green cabbage together makes for gorgeous pink kraut. i recommend throwing in slices of garlic for its anti-inflammatory, potential heart health contributions, manganese and selenium.
http://www.wildfermentation.com/resources.php?page=sauerkraut

2) beets: grate and toss with plain yogurt, mint, lemon juice, and salt/pepper for a tasty lunch.

3) chard: affectionately termed "chard-y pie" by friends, this stuff is amazing! i'd recommend kicking up the amount of chard in the filling (and feel free to throw in kale, beet greens, onion tops, etc). enjoy!

Swiss Chard Tart with a Potato Crust (from Stonewall Kitchen's cookbook "Harvest")
This tart makes two. If you want to save one for another day, cook them both in the oven, and store the second one in the fridge to reheat for dinner later in the week.

1 ½ lbs Swiss chard, stems trimmed and leaves washed and coarsely chopped
¼ c. plus 2 Tbs. olive oil
1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
Salt and pepper
2 large potatoes
3 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
1 heaping c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 large eggs
2 c. ricotta

1. In large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Cook chard and garlic (half first, then the other half), stirring frequently. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring until the chard is just tender. Blot excess liquid with a paper towel and let cool.
2. To make the crust, slice the potatoes very thinly. Create a thin layer of the potato slices on the bottom and the sides of two pie plates, slightly overlapping them to make a solid “crust”. Drizzle 2 Tbs. of oil over each crust, swirling the pan slightly so the oil drips to the bottom. Sprinkle each crust with ½ tsp. thyme, some salt and pepper, and a heaping ¼ c. of Parmesan.
3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Whisk eggs in a large bowl and whisk in the ricotta, the remaining 2 tsp. thyme, and the remaining ½ c. Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper. Add the cooled sautéed chard and mix well. Divide the filling between the two crusts and press down lightly.
4. Bake the tart for 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake for another 10 minutes. The potato curst should turn brown and crisp, and the filling should feel solid and firm when gently touched. Let cool about 5 minutes.

be well!
dana

2 sites to visit!

check out "The CSA Chronicles" in the Washington Post for some refreshing CSA enthusiasm and a recipe for a grilled chicken and squash salad.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/08/AR2008070801987.html?wpisrc=newsletter&wpisrc=newsletter

maybe soon we'll be lucky like the columnist and get some more yummy fruit!

also, joan, the one straw farmer, just added new pictures to the farm's website. go to onestrawfarm.com, then click on farmer's diary to take a look....