This morning, I looked in the fridge and saw an abundance of green leafy goodness that needed eating - arugula, baby spinach, head lettuce, some romaine, and containers of Fieldless Farms* - Northern Crunch and Ontario Sweets. I decided we had better have a salad for dinner.
The other thing I noticed were cartons - plural, of fresh eggs. Our farmer’s hens are laying well this winter. It’s time for frittata.
I love it when the fridge tells me what to make for dinner.
Frittata and salad are classic combinations and brilliant uses of staples. Armed with a basic recipe, you can create a fabulous meal without a trip to the grocery store just by using the odds and ends of veggies and cheese you have hanging about in the fridge. The meal is quick to prepare, and leftovers are easily enjoyed hot or cold for lunch the next day.
Is it a Frittata, or is it a Quiche?
People often confuse frittata and quiche. Understandably, the two are very similar and made with similar ingredients. Both lend themselves well to imaginative customization, but there are differences.
Quiche is an egg custard baked in a crust. It is rich and delicious and usually loaded with cream (there’s a reason it tastes so divine). Quiche is baked entirely in the oven like a pie.
Frittata contains more egg and far less dairy than a quiche and more closely resembles an omelet in texture. A frittata does not have a pastry crust and is the healthier option. Cooking a frittata begins on the stovetop and finishes in the oven. This technique produces gorgeous and flavourful browned edges and bottom.
Both quiche and frittata are quick to prepare, and their oven time provides plenty of opportunity to toss together a salad. Because there is usually a lot of colourful vegetable action in with the eggs, an accompanying salad needn’t be fancy. Keep it straightforward - a medley of greens with a simple vinaigrette, shaved parmesan, lightly fried fresh croutons, and some fresh cracked black pepper. That’s all that you need. Kate calls these types of salad ‘dressed lettuce.’ I just call them delicious.
Tonight’s Recipes
Dressed Lettuce
Toast some bite-sized hunks of day-old bread or cubes of focaccia in a pan with some olive oil and minced garlic. Season the hot bread with salt and pepper and set aside.
I don’t get fancy for the vinaigrette - A couple of tablespoons of olive oil, a drizzle of balsamic, a pinch of salt, some pepper, and a sprinkle of oregano or basil. Tonight I used ½ tsp of our housemade Italian blend. Whisk this all together in the bottom of the salad bowl.
Toss 4 cups of mixed greens (romaine, arugula, baby kale, and leafy lettuce - whatever you have) with the dressing.
Top with the toasted bread and a generous shaving of parmesan cheese. Add some crisp bacon if you like, but don’t overcomplicate things.
* I love Fieldless Farms - they are Canadian, sustainable, environmentally conscious, and reliable from a food safety perspective. I feel good about using their products and can’t wait for them to expand their offerings. Specifically, I’d love it if they would start growing me some spinach and arugula - wink, wink.
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