Easy Summer Frittata

The following is a mouthwatering guest post from my friend Raija. You can see her other delicious guest recipe posts here and here.

The first time I had frittata was at a picnic on the Esplanade in Boston along the Charles River.  It was served cold and it was a simple yet delicious summer picnic addition. 

The current sultry weather is calling for uncomplicated dishes, served well both hot or cold.   And in honor of Spain’s upcoming match in the World Cup, and my upcoming trip to Barcelona and Menorca, I thought this dish would be perfect. 

When I cook something for the first time I look up recipes online and then edit them based on what I have on hand.  This dish is a variation of the one I found here: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/saras-secrets/potato-frittata-recipe/index.html.

I’m love using vegetables I get from my farm share (http://www.nohotownfarm.com/) and many of the ingredients below came from it.  The following is my recipe for a 3-4 serving, easy and delicious frittata.  This could be varied in lots of different ways, adding your own favorite summer veggies.

About 1 1/2 cups new or red potatoes cut into 1/2 inch cubes (this helps them cook quickly).
Chopped green onion (such a fresh and summery taste, but use another type of onion if you don’t have it on hand)
Several tablespoons olive oil
Salt and fresh ground pepper
3 large eggs
1 1/2 tablespoons shredded parmesan cheese (or another salty, nutty, hard cheese)
Cilantro chopped roughly for topping at the end (I LOVE the smell of cilantro in the summer!)

Pat dry the chopped onions and potatoes.

Heat about a tablespoon of olive oil in a non-stick pan on medium heat.  Add the potatoes and some salt and pepper and stir for about a minute. Then add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin turn golden.  This takes a few minutes, and is also important for getting the potatoes cooking through.  When this is done, remove the potatoes from the pan onto a plate.

Next beat the eggs and add the cheese, and some salt and pepper.   Add about a half tablespoon of oil to the pan and add back the potatoes and then the egg mixture, making sure that the potatoes are spread evenly through the egg and pan.  (One recipe I read said to add the potatoes to the eggs and mix them outside the pan before returning the mixture to the pan, but I’ve had too many bad scrambled egg mishaps to risk it, so this is my variation at avoiding it — and I think it worked!)

Turn the heat down to about medium low and let the eggs cook until they get firm, and pretty well cooked through, and the underside begins to turn golden brown.

Next put a plate on top of the pan and turn the pan over so that the frittata lands cooked side up on the plate.  Add another half tablesoon of olive oil or so into the pan and slide the frittata, uncooked side down, back into the pan.  Cook until the frittata is firm all the way through and the underside is golden brown. 

Slide the frittata onto a plate and top with the chopped cilantro.  Serve immediately or let cool and serve cold. 

This would pair deliciously with a light summer salad with tomatoes and balsamic vinegar.  It was very simple and I could use what I had on hand to make it work.  I was also surprised how turning it over wasn’t hard at all!  I hope you enjoy it too!

This looks delicious, and easy. Thanks for sharing it with us, Rai! I think this would be awesome with a glass of bubbly or the Pares Balta Ros de Pacs that I wrote about last week. Yum.