Spring Frittata with Fresh Garden Herbs
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
A spring celebration frittata featuring asparagus and leek with fresh garden herbs
Author: Kelly
Serves: 8 pieces
Ingredients
- 1 heaping cup chopped leek (1 stalk should do it)
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, smashed and salted
- ½ pound asparagus (about 10 spears), cut into 1 inch pieces
- 8 (or more) cheery tomatoes, cut in half
- 10 large fresh eggs
- ⅓ cup half and half cream (10%)
- pinch of fresh grated nutmeg, optional
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese (or cheese of choice)
- 2 Tbsp fresh parsley, minced
- 2 tsp fresh oregano (or other herb of choice), minced
- 1 ounce feta cheese (or cheese of choice)
- sea salt & black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 F
- Warm a 10" cast iron skillet (or oven proof skillet of choice) over low-medium heat making sure to grease sufficiently with oil or butter (I used coconut oil)
- Sauté leek, onion and garlic in the skillet over low-medium heat, just until the onion/leek become translucent being careful not to scorch the garlic, about 3 minutes. Add the asparagus and toss with veggies for a minute or two just until it brightens.
- Meanwhile whisk together: eggs, cream, nutmeg, 1 Tbsp parsley, oregano, sea salt & coarse black pepper together in a bowl.
- Add the grated Parmesan to the egg mixture and combine.
- Pour egg mixture into the skillet over the vegetables and cook for only 3 or 4 minutes over low-medium heat -- resist the urge to stir -- instead, draw a heatproof spatula across the bottom of the skillet in 3 or 4 long, deliberate strokes, pushing the cooked eggs toward the center and allowing the runny parts to gather underneath - this prevents scorching on the bottom of your frittata.
- Remove the skillet from heat and sprinkle the egg surface (which will still be runny in the center and barely set around the edges) with crumbled feta and then dot with tomatoes, as desired.
- Place the skillet in the oven and bake for about 20 minutes or until the egg mixture is puffed and beginning to take on a golden brown appearance (particularly around the edges).
- Carefully remove the skillet from the oven, top with remaining sprinkle of fresh parsley.
- Run a spatula around skillet edge to loosen the frittata, then carefully slide it out onto a serving plate to cut and serve.
Notes
Make it your own - one of the beautiful things about frittata, omelet and quiche is that they are completely adaptable -- use whatever ingredients you have on hand and take advantage of what is in season near you. The custard content can also vary from milk (or alternate milk beverage) to cream to coconut as well as your cheese and herb selection.
Sauté to remove excess water - vegetables contain a lot of water, (notably: mushrooms & zucchini), sautéing them prior to baking the frittata allows much of this water to be released so that you don't end up with a soggy mess during the baking process.
Leek Prep - to prepare leeks, cut the ends off (the roots) and darker green tops (you can reserve for stock). Be sure to rinse thoroughly as leeks can be sandy. Slice the white/yellow part of the leek in half lengthwise (and then again if still large) and then chop the long pieces, widthwise.
Leek Nutrition - leeks form part of the powerful allium family together with its confrères garlic, onion and chives - a class of vegetables which are rich in phytonutrients and operate as antioxidants in the body. This is one sexy allium rich pie!
Smashing Garlic - I recommend smashing the garlic (as distinct from running it through a garlic press) for two reasons. I love the chunkier texture of the garlic and chopping/slicing the garlic cloves alone without first flattening it (smashing/crushing) will not release the allium's beneficial oils. To smash, simply use the flat side of a large knife and carefully press down on the garlic over a cutting board until it breaks/flattens somewhat. Sprinkle with sea salt which will absorb beautifully into the oils and then chop or slice the garlic.
Sauté to remove excess water - vegetables contain a lot of water, (notably: mushrooms & zucchini), sautéing them prior to baking the frittata allows much of this water to be released so that you don't end up with a soggy mess during the baking process.
Leek Prep - to prepare leeks, cut the ends off (the roots) and darker green tops (you can reserve for stock). Be sure to rinse thoroughly as leeks can be sandy. Slice the white/yellow part of the leek in half lengthwise (and then again if still large) and then chop the long pieces, widthwise.
Leek Nutrition - leeks form part of the powerful allium family together with its confrères garlic, onion and chives - a class of vegetables which are rich in phytonutrients and operate as antioxidants in the body. This is one sexy allium rich pie!
Smashing Garlic - I recommend smashing the garlic (as distinct from running it through a garlic press) for two reasons. I love the chunkier texture of the garlic and chopping/slicing the garlic cloves alone without first flattening it (smashing/crushing) will not release the allium's beneficial oils. To smash, simply use the flat side of a large knife and carefully press down on the garlic over a cutting board until it breaks/flattens somewhat. Sprinkle with sea salt which will absorb beautifully into the oils and then chop or slice the garlic.
Recipe by Inspired Edibles at https://www.inspirededibles.ca/2015/05/spring-frittata-with-fresh-garden-herbs.html