A Light Meal: Zucchini Frittata

I would like to state up-front, that you'll have to forgive me for the photos.  I'm not that great behind the camera and sadly I didn't have my trusty side-kick husband to help take pictures.  This is also the reason why I don't have any preparation pictures.  In any case, let's get on with the show, shall we?

Last night called for a light meal of sorts.  Later this week we're planning on eating brisket, so I thought we'd even out things with something light to start:  Zucchini Frittata with Parmesan.  My mom made frittatas (the Italian version of the Spanish tortilla) all the time when I was little.  She used it as a way to get rid of leftover vegetables in the fridge or when she was pressed for time.  It's a great quick dish when you want something light, but substantial.  You can pretty much use any vegetable or meat you like in it, too, which makes for a very flexible dish.  The basics call for eggs and milk, it's up to the cook to fill in the rest.  Anything you'd put in a scramble, or omelette, or quiche would be just fine in a frittata.  The great thing is you don't have to worry about making a crust!  This particular frittata also gave me an excuse to try out our new mandoline slicer (an awesome wedding gift).  The mandoline made slicing up the zucchini very easy and allowed for uniform slice size and ultimately uniform cooking throughout. Obviously, you can easily chop and slice with a knife; you certainly don't need a special slicer.  Just remember to try and keep the slices as evenly as possible, otherwise you'll end up with possible soggy thin pieces next to hardly cooked thick ones.

This particular frittata turned out beautifully.  It was tasty and delicious and the green of the zucchini was beautiful next to the browned cheesy crust on top.  I paired it with a lovely green salad with carrots, celery, green onions, garlic-stuffed olives, and cherry tomatoes with bright sherry vinegar and olive oil.  The sharp acidity cut through the rich egg of the frittata.  I also had a glass of Tobin James Chardonnay, but that's neither here nor there (Marshall went for a New Belgium Mothership Wit, instead)!




Zucchini and Parmesan Frittata
(FYI:  The measurements here are merely estimates.  Like a lot of my everyday recipes, I don't measure out anything, except for the big ingredients.)
 
6 whole eggs
1/4-1/2 cup of half-and-half (you could easily use whole or whatever level of fat milk you prefer)
1 tsp dried tarragon
1/4 tsp grated nutmeg (fresh is best, if possible)
salt and pepper (to taste)
3/4 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated
4 small zucchini, thinly sliced
1 Tbs olive oil (personally, I like to use half butter, half olive oil)

Preheat your broiler with rack in the upper-middle of the oven.  In a large mixing bowl, beat together the eggs and half-and-half.  Add in the tarragon (breaking up the leaves, if they're big), nutmeg, and salt and pepper.  Stir in about 3/4 of the grated cheese into the egg mixture, then fold in the zucchini slices.

Heat the olive oil in a non-stick (oven-safe) fry pan over medium heat (medium-high, if using a gas range).  Once the pan is well heated, add in the egg mixture.  Run a rubber spatula around the edges of the pan and lightly scrambling the egg in the middle (you want to keep the egg as flat in the pan as possible, but you don't want it to stick).  Shake the pan lightly every once in a while and once the mixture is set (not wobbling or liquid-like), sprinkle the rest of the grated parmesan cheese over the top and place under the broiler.  Bake for roughly 10-12 minutes, until the frittata is cooked through and the top is a golden brown.  Allow to rest for at least 5 minutes before serving.

This particular recipe serves 4 as a main dish (1 serving being a quarter of the whole firttata) and can serve many more as a side dish.  It can even be cut up into small appetizer-size servings, as well (my sister's dad makes these all the time for parties)

bon appetit!