A Breakfast Treat: Zucchini Frittata 

One of the great things about summer is a garden.  And with the tough economics of late, the harvest from the garden really makes it all worthwhile.  Some of the more prolific producers -- aside from perhaps my ten tomato plants (to make juice and now homemade catsup) -- are my zucchini plants.  The only problem is, one day I look and the zuc's are fairly small... and three days later they are the size of a football!   What can be done with all these giant zucchinis??  For those who like zucchini bread, half of one zucchini, the size of which is depicted above, will easily make two delicious loaves.  At least part of the other half can be used to make an exquisite and tasty frittata that will easily serve breakfast for six people.  The prep is easy and quick, and the cost is... downright cheap!  (If you want to add additional flavor -- and a tad of additional cost -- substitute Fontina cheese for the Italian and use shitake mushrooms instead of the button variety.)

shopping list:

• 1 1/2 - 2  Cups shredded zucchini (I consider garden harvest as free, but technically I suppose it's not...)
• 1/2 Cup chopped, fresh garden onion; both white and green parts  (We plant at least 100 sets in the spring -- red and yellow -- and don't buy onions at the market from May - November)
• 5-6 button mushrooms (~ $0.50 worth; I buy a box at Aldi for $1.49 and use about 1/3 of it)
• 8 large eggs (~ $0.60; I just found them on sale at Aldi for $0.89 per dozen)
• 1 Cup shredded Italian cheese (~ $2.89 per 12-oz bag -- 3 cups-- or ~ $0.50 for the .5 cup I used)  note: this is a blend of Mozzarella, Provolone, Romano, Asiago and Parmesan cheeses
• 1/4 Cup Parmesan cheese (~ $0.50 tops)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (personally, I skip the salt in most recipes; add it at the table if you want salt)
• 1/2 teaspoon white pepper (minimal cost)
• ~ 1/8 teaspoon sea salt or to taste
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil (~ $0.10)
• 2 Tablespoons butter (~ $0.10; Butter at Aldi was $1.49 per pound -- that's ~ $0.37 per stick or $0.05/Tablespoon)

Approximate total cost of the Frittata: ~ $2.30, or ~ $0.38 per person (add perhaps another $1.50 for a nice glass of wine if you wish)  Can't beat that price with a stick...

Prep:

Lauren has a really nifty Kitchen-Aid mixer with all the attachments, so the quickest and easiest way to grate the zucchini is to use the " Rotor Slicer & Shredder" attachment -- especially if you intend to grate the whole zucchini at once.  (I used to use the old-fashioned hand shredder... it just took a bit longer!)  Set aside about 2 cups.  Thinly slice the mushrooms; set aside.  Chop the onions; set aside.  Pre-heat the oven to about 400 degrees F. 

Whish/beat the eggs and add about 2/3 of the shredded Italian cheese to the egg mix.  Meanwhile, begin heating a heavy sauté pan (I have a Calphalon Nonstick 10-inch Omelette Fry Pan that works really well).  Make sure that the pan is really hot before you start, as the amount of ingredients plus the water in them will quickly cool the pan and cause the eggs to stick.  When the pan is hot, add the oil and swirl to coat the bottom and sides, then add the butter.  Add the onion and sauté until opaque -- about 2 minutes.  Add the zucchini and sauté another 2-3 minutes, stirring to mix the contents of the pan.  Add the mushrooms, stir mixture, and sauté for another 2-3 minutes.  Add the egg mixture to the pan and fold into the veggies.  continue cooking until eggs are thoroughly blended.  Remove from the heat and place in pre-heated oven for 4-5 minutes, or just until eggs are about set.  At this point, briefly remove pan from oven and add the remaining Italian cheese and top with parmesan.  Return to oven, turning oven setting to broil.  In about 3-4 minutes, the frittata should be puffed and bubbly with a golden brown crust on top.  Cut it into wedges and serve with bright green asparagus or red, ripe garden tomatoes, potatoes, and perhaps a glass of crisp, white wine. 

What a great way to enjoy your harvest (and how much does zucchini cost at the local market?)!

Bon Appetite!

 
Ralph Pancetta
reviews@ralphpancetta.com