I was a naughty girl yesterday. I should have been holed up in my apartment finishing my last paper and preparing for my exam on Thursday, but I played hooky with my husband and went to see ‘Spider-Man 3′ instead. I resisted for a while, all the way to the theatre in fact, but then a box of milk chocolate Raisinettes winked at me from the concession stand and I gave in. Whee! Can you blame me?
In truth I think taking a break was the best thing. I needed to step away from the books, leave that shoulder tension behind and clear my head by marveling (get it, MARVEL-ing? ha!) at how creepy Venom was. When we got home I made another cup of coffee, laced it with chai, flexed my fingers and finished that paper lickety split - which means the only thing I have left to do between now and Thursday is study for my last Hebrew exam. Go me.
However, despite the headway I’ve made with finals, I’ve still been woefully remiss in returning comments - both on this site and on yours. I hope you’ll forgive me for that since lord knows I’d much rather be frolicking around the blogging world than studying. Instead I’ve been completing worksheet after worksheet with instructions like “Vocalize each of the words below in the הפעיל, then rewrite the word and vocalize it in התפעל, then identify it by root, tense, and pronoun.” Aa! Even groovy study music can’t make that fun.
With such a schedule dinners have remained on the simple side, yet I still have something delicious to share with you. A frittata filled with potatoes, roasted garlic, goat cheese, scallions, thyme and cherry tomatoes. The recipe is by Margaret Fox, who is quickly catching up to Carrie Levin as my favorite breakfast diva and is the inspiration behind the hazelnut coffee cake I posted recently. Not unlike stir-frys, frittatas require little effort and are open to improvisation. From potatoes to pasta, you can use whatever is on hand to create a quick and satisfying dish. I’m especially fond of their varied texture - a taste of roasted garlic and goat cheese in this bite, the burst of a warm cherry tomato in the next. And the colors, oh the colors, with flecks of green and red against a yellow backdrop. It’s heaven, especially when served with a crisp spinach salad and homemade honey brown-butter dressing.
This post is my contribution to “A Taste of Yellow,” an event that Barbara created to support Lance Armstrong’s “Livestrong Day.” Livestrong Day is the Lance Armstrong Foundation’s grassroots movement whose purpose is to unite people affected by cancer and to raise awareness about cancer on a national level and in local communities across the country. This semester one of my uncles died of colon cancer, and in the past few years I’ve also lost relatives to pancreatic and lung cancer. Cancer affects people from all walks of life and it’s important that we support organizations like the American Cancer Society and Livestrong in their quest to raise awareness and fund research. Together we can make a difference.
Mendocino Frittata
Reprinted with permission from “Morning Food.”
Ingredients: Makes 1 Large Frittata
- 9 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons minced parsley
- 1/4 cup grated dry cheese (Parmesan, dry Asiago or dry Jack)
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 1/4 cups cubed, cooked and peeled potatoes
- 3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 3/4 cup chopped red peppers (I skipped this ingredient)
- 2/3 cups finely chopped green onions (aka scallions)
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 3 ounces goat cheese, cut into small cubes or thin slices, depending on shape
- 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- 1/4 cup roasted garlic
Step 1: Roast the garlic.
In a saucepan, place peeled garlic cloves and cover with water. Bring to a boil and lower heat. Simmer for 5 to 7 minutes until the cloves are easily pierced with the tip of a knife. Drain well. Coat the cloves with a generous amount of olive oil and bake them in a small oven-safe dish at 325 degrees F for about 20 to 25 minutes. Stir occasionally, until caramelized. Store in the refrigerator, covered in oil, if not using immediately.
Step 2: Make the frittata
Peel two medium sized russet potatoes and steam them for 20 to 25 minutes. (Detailed instructions can be found here.) Allow them to cool, then cut into cubes.
Beat the eggs with the parsley and dry cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste (I used a pinch of each). Set aside.
Heat a large ovenproof saute pan, add the olive oil, and cook the potatoes over medium heat until well browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Add the peppers and saute until soft. Add the green onions, cook until limp, then add the thyme. Sprinkle cayenne pepper over the vegetables and stir to distribute.
Turn on the broiler in your oven.
Turn up the heat on your stove and add the egg mixture. After about 10 seconds, turn the heat down to medium-low. Quickly sprinkle the goat cheese, cherry tomatoes and roasted garlic evenly over the surface. Reduce the heat to low and let cook, slowly, until the edges are set. Lift the edges so that uncooked egg can run underneath, and repeat this a couple of times during the next 5 minutes or so. Peek underneath and make sure the bottom isn’t browning too quickly. If it is, reduce the heat.
When the top is set and still moist, place the pan under the broiler for about 60 seconds, or until the top is slightly browned. (Mine was in there for 2 minutes.) Carefully remove the pan from the oven - it will be hot! - and slide the frittata onto a warm dish. Cut into wedges and serve.
Honey Brown-Butter Dressing
The recipe for this dressing can be found here. I like it best with spinach salad, but of course it goes well with other kinds of salad too. On occasion I have substituted Vidalia onion for the shallots and have used 2 tablespoons of olive oil to replace half of the butter. I also prefer to use Orange-Blossom honey. Play around and see what you like!
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This entry was posted on Monday, May 7th, 2007 by Ariela and is filed under Breakfast, Main Dishes, Side Dishes. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
49 Responses for "A Taste of Yellow"
Hi Ari! Fantastic submissions for the Taste of Yellow event! The fritatta sounds wonderful - esprecially with the potatoes and garlic… yum! And your spinach salad and dressing sound like a lovely light accompaniment. Mmm!
Me too! Took the kids to Spiderman 3 and the ” bad” Spiderman was pretty creepy,huh?;D
Frittata looks great.Fluffy.Great entry for yellow and a good cause.
Ari, I went to a mall on the weekend and the lines to watch “Spider Man” were huge! So many people - and loads of noisy teenagers.
Your frittata is just… yummy! I want some now!
Good for you for taking a break. We all need them!
Glad you liked Spidey. I have heard mixed reviews.
I ahve never made a frittata. Maybe I should. I wonder if my kids would like it?
Your frittata looks delicious, all those flavours mixing together, perfect not only for breakfast but as a lunch or a snack.
Hope you enjoyed the movie, I’m not sure if I should go, I also heard mixed reviews.
mmmm…i can’t WAIT to try this one out! YAY!
Beautiful pic, very springlike and fresh!
Ari- how did you know I had all those ingredients in my refrigerator wishing desperately to be made into something fancy-sounding like fritatta? The peppers and green onions were getting a little sad, but I’m sure the eggs and potatoes will cheer them up.
Oh…Just looking at your Frittata makes me so hungry .
Good Luck with your Hebrew exam…I think it was an excellent move to take some time off and relax before you hit the books again. Hurray for a good movie.
I also agree with you wholeheartedly on supporting the American Cancer Society and the Livestrong Day.
Thank you.!
Delicious-looking! BTW, it’s good to take a break! Glad you did and enjoyed it with Spidey.
Paz
Wow, that looks amazing. I am working on my cooking, this is going to come in handy.
Your blog always makes me hungry. =9 So much yummy stuff in the world. Thank you for opening up gastronomic possibilities for your readers. And thank you for sharing your life. =) Your posts are always interesting - in fact your blog is addicting.
Oh gosh, although I am just looking at it, I completely agree, that I can “taste” the yellow in this post! And that is okay about taking a brief break from studying. I know we’ll all be MARVELing at your great grades in a month! Plus, you need good food like this to promote brain activity for your studies!
Oh my goodness, I love all the ingredients in that frittata! How big is your saute pan, by the way? I only have one, a 12″, so I guess I have no choice in the matter
I might want to substitute a few more egg whites for the yolks to lessen the guilt factor, but it all balances out in the end when I use those yolks for creme brulee or challah, ha!
That looks wonderfully delicious! A real luxury frittata that makes my mouth water…
Taking breaks from studying is very important. Good luck with your exam!
am also desperate to see Spiderman 3 - and this frittata - that’s going to be our supper tonight - I seem to have an egg mountain right now…..it’ll be perfect! All the best for Thursday! ( Am behind on my blogs and my three exhibitions that all open this weekend! - BAD Timing)
This recipe looks amazing, I am already addicted to your blog. I am also mainly vegetarian (I eat dairy and eggs). Congrats on the weight loss and good luck with finals!
I am a crafty bee, I eventually want to be a designer but am practicing with some low key crafts like bags until I get my skills up to speed.
ah yes, its that great time of year isn’t it… FINALS TIME
wonderful fritata, glad you can still eat well & healthy during this high-stress time
Oh, man, that looks delicious, Ari. And it seems easy enough for even me to prepare. I’m going to try that out next time I get to a grocery store for the ingredients. Thanks for posting the picture and recipe!
I love a frittata. Tastes good and a great way to get some veg into my daughter with minimal complaints. I noticed your featured book is The Book of Lost Things, I read this earlier this year and enjoyed it immensely and definetely couldn’t put it down. Also loved the Dorie interview!
I haven’t seen Spidey yet. Frittata looks fabulous, Ari. And as for hubby….a quliter and a biker dude? Oh my….hang on to him. Renaiisance men are so appealing. I bet he’s smart, too!
I have to remind myself… got to prepare napkin before I enter your blog, your food always makes me drool!!! Totally love every single ingredient in this frittat!
We often have frittata for lunch. This looks delicious. Thanks for supporting A Taste of Yellow. Ari.
Good luck on the exams and final papers!
This looks wonderful!
The fritatta looks delicious! Good luck with finals!
That looks delicious, and it’s good to take a mental break especially when studying. Good luck with your upcoming exams.
Gilly - Thanks! The roasted garlic added some extra oomph to an already delicious frittata. If you make it you’ll see why I’m becoming so fond of Ms. Fox.
Asha - Venom was creepiest when he wasn’t part of Spiderman anymore. That last fight scene was the best part of the movie.
Patricia - The theatre was packed when we went too, people were even sitting in the front row.
Nancy - I heard mixed reviews too but professional critics can be out of touch with people like me, by which I mean tired grad students who just want to be entertained for an hour or two.
The movie was good… a little slow in the middle, but in my opinion it was worth it in the end. The last fight scene was my favorite part, but I can’t say why without giving away too much.
Monika - You’re right, we actually had this fritatta for dinner, then the next day for brunch.
Lily - You totally should it’s DELICIOUS!
Brilynn - Thanks!
Steamy Kitchen - I’d tell ya but then the secret would be ruined! I hope you tried and enjoyed the fritatta. To my thinking, meals are even more satisfying when you know you’re using up lonely vegetables in the process.
Ruth L - I think it was the best move too. The exam is tomorrow and after that I’ll finally be done with school related things… at least until September.
Paz - Thank you.
I wish my wife had a job where she could ditch from time to time. Usually when she takes a ‘mental health day’ she wants me no where around her *shrug*
Sir Jorge - Frittatas are easy to make and it’s a great dish to learn when you’re just starting out with cooking. Let me know how it turns out and feel free to post questions.
Tarie - Aw thanks Tarie. Gosh, I don’t even know how to respond to a sweet comment like that!
Passionate Eater - Haha, I hope so! I found out that I did get an A in one of my classes, still waiting for 4 more grades to come in.
Rosa - I hadn’t thought of this as a luxury frittata, but you know, I think you’re right! This recipe goes beyond the realm of ordinary frittata.
Jane - I hope you enjoyed the frittata! What kind of exhibition do you have coming up? Are you an artist? Sometimes it seems like we are juggling too many things at once but eventually it will all calm down. And if not, then it’s time to make more cookies and frittatas!
CountryGirlCityLife - Thanks! I’d lose weight faster if I stopped baking but that wouldn’t be very much fun would it? What kind of designing do you want to do? How exciting!
Connie - Yes, you and me both. But finals are almost over and then it’s time to really get busy in the kitchen. Yehaw!
Utenzi - You could definitely make this, no question about it. Just keep an eye on the bottom of the eggs and don’t lose track of time when you but the frittata under the broiler. I hope you enjoy the recipe!
Laura - Great to meet another “Book of Lost Things” fan! It’s not ofte that such a memorizing book comes along. And incidentally, when I was a kid my Mom used to trick me with vegetable laden frittatas too.
Janice - He is super smart, way more intelligent than me! And you’re right, biker guys who can quilt (and quote Shakespeare) don’t come along too often. I lucked out.
Gattina - *laugh* you crack me up! I’m glad you like the frittata and hope you get a chance to try it out sometime!
Barbara - This is my first food blog event and it was such a pleasure to participate. Thank you for creating such an inspiring way for blogs to support Livestrong Day!
Helen - Thank you!
Anali - Thanks! They’re almost over!
Kristi - Thank you mucho. Only one more left. Come Thursday afternoon it’ll all be over. Yay!
Jeff - It’s hard nowadays, with everyone so busy and personal time at a premium. The only reason I could play hooky is because I’m a student. Do you guys have a date night every month or two? We started doing that after we got married and I tell ya, it works wonders!
I love speederman3, it’s a good films.
And I love your recipe
I never met a frittata I didn’t like–including yours! It’s colorful, fragrant, and healthy. Who could ask for more? Best of luck!
That looks so fresh and light and good! Lovely entry for a great event.
Thanks for this wonderful post Ari! I made it this afternoon and the frittata was awesome.
Looks delicious Ari! And I agree, its so important that we all support cancer research. I can’t wait to see Barbaras round up.
Mmmm, the spinach salad with honey brown-butter dressing sounds delish. Question: Is the dressing served hot from the pan, or do you let it cool first before serving?
Thanks!
Felicity
Ari - this, seriously, has got to be the most delicious looking and sounding frittata ever! Ohhh I look forward to Sunday morning!
Good luck with your finals!!
xoxo
Good Luck on your Finals!
I’m proud of you for playing hookey! All work and no play makes for no fun.
Your taste of yellow submission looks great!
Yellow is my favorite color! And I had polenta today.
That photograph actually made my mouth water, off to the kitchen.
Great entry! I can just imagine how good that must be with the roasted garlic and goat’s cheese…then the bited of cherry tomatoes throughout…mmmmm!
Venom was VERY creepy! yikes…
Good luck on the paper!
Frittata is my go-to meal, in any variation. Nice contribution to the yellow project.
Pom d’Api - It was indeed a good time! I love going to the movies, though I do have a penchant for sneaking my own treats into the theatre.
Susan - I never met a frittata I didn’t like either, but I tell ya, this one is my favorite so far!
Kelly-Jane - Thank you.
Zach - That’s wonderful! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe.
Naomi - I’m looking forward to seeing Barbara’s round up also. Judging from how many “Taste of Yellow” posts I’ve seen its going to be a massive one.
Felicity - I usually take the dressing off the burner and let it cool for a couple minutes. Not too long, it tastes best when its warm.
Lisa - I hope you enjoy it! I get such a kick when my bloggy friends try a recipe I’ve posted.
Sophie - Thanks!
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, but my fritata has always been bland - this could be the answer!! Looks amazing!
p.s. the Dorie post is fabulous!
Kristen - All work and no play is definitely not a good thing. I needed that break!
Damselfly - Mmmm, polenta. You just reminded me of a dish I haven’t had in a long time…
Carolyn - Ha, mission accomplished!
Joey - The roasted garlic and goat cheese add a lot to this dish… in fact, just thinking abou the way they tasted makes me want to make this frittata again.
Lydia - Gotta love the delicious ease of eggy dishes!
Freya - This frittata is definitely not bland, give it a go! And I’m glad you liked the Dorie post, I’m still blown away by how generous she is.
MMMn,,,The more I look, the more I want it!
Scott - That’s what I like to hear!
That looks way lucsious and ultra-satisfying. I love and adore breakfast!