Refresh your Root-ine: Vegetable Frittata

RECIPE #7: VEGETABLE FRITTATA

What's great for breakfast, lunch or dinner; makes good use of the contents of your organic vegetable box and allows you to be creative? Why a vegetable frittata of course!!

It's the perfect answer to what's for dinner when everyone has gotten home late. Special enough for guests for brunch. While you're at it make two because leftovers are egg-cellent! Wonderful thrown in a pita for a brown bag lunch. Or eaten on the fly for breakfast when you're heading out the door in the morning.

Once you've got a few basic principles down, throw on your chef's hat, open the fridge to pull out whatever you've got on hand and get cooking!

A frittata is like a crustless quiche, and it's one of the easiest ways to enjoy the variety of vegetables that you have in your fridge. Some worthy combinations that we have had first-hand experience with:

• Broccoli, Onion, and Tomato Frittata with Cheddar
• Kale, Onion, and Sweet Potato Frittata with Monterey Jack
• Mushroom and Onion Frittata with Swiss Cheese
• Rutabagas, Zucchini, Peas with Smoked Gouda

All frittatas use the same basic recipe. Feel free to adapt this recipe based on whatever you have on hand - this is a great place to use up leftovers! Give thought to whether your vegetables should be cooked a bit beforehand - slower cooking types like root vegetables might benefit from some time in the oven first - but quicker cooking types like summer squash, peppers will be just fine as is.

Basic Vegetable Frittata

Ingredients:

• Veggies of your choice, cut into small, bite-sized pieces - slower cooking vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, winter squash and root vegetables should be pre-cooked (or use leftovers). Faster cooking vegetables like asparagus, onions, mushrooms, peppers, summer squash can be cooked in the pan. Frozen peas are a worthy addition, just before the cheese
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced (optional)
• 8-12 eggs 
• 4 oz cheese of your choice, grated or crumbled - Sharp cheddar, Swiss, Monterey Jack, Feta, all work well
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation:

1. Preheat broiler.

2. On the stove top over medium heat, add olive oil (1 tbsp) to an oven safe saute pan.

3. Sauté diced onions & garlic until translucent (5-10 min).

4. Add small, bite-sized veggies of your choice, seasoning with a little salt each time a new veggie is added in. Cook for approximately 5-10 min, or until veggies are soft. Once veggies are cooked, reduce heat to low.

5. Beat eggs in mixing bowl and season with some salt and pepper.

6. Add eggs to saute pan & stir continuously to incorporate all veggies until eggs begin to set. At this point they will look almost like runny scrambled eggs. Remove from heat. Sprinkle cheese on top and place under broiler until eggs are set. About 5 minutes.

Rutabagas, Zucchini, Pea frittata with Smoked Gouda

Hakuna Frittata!