OLS | Frittata

By Leslie Kedash

This frittata, paired with a green salad, is one of my favorite  Sunday evening meals. Potatoes and onions pulled from the garden and eggs plucked from the hens, it doesn’t get much more local than that.

The recipe is from Deborah Madison’s Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone and is my “go to” source for side dishes and dinners.

This description sold me on the recipe…. “This cushion-like golden omelet is present in Spanish bars everywhere, providing a nourishing boost for flagging energy from morning through night. The generous amount of olive oil gives the potatoes a velvety, tender texture. The finished dish should be completely moist and golden, not the least bit dry.”

Spanish Potato and Onion Frittata, from Vegetarian Cooking for Everybody

Scant 1/2 cup fruity olive oil, Spanish if you have it

2 pounds white or red potatoes, peeled and very thinly sliced

1 large onion, thinly sliced or diced

Salt and freshly milled pepper

6 to 8 eggs

Warm 5 tablespoons of the oil in a very wide nonstick or cast iron skillet. Add the potatoes and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until they’re cooked through and golden, about 20 minutes.

When done, the potatoes will have lost their opaque white centers. Separate any slices that stick together so that they’ll cook evenly. When done transfer potatoes to a bowl with a slotted spoon.

If there’s no oil remaining in the pan, add another tablespoon and sauté the onions until they’re lightly browned. Add them to the potatoes and season well with salt and pepper. Pour in beaten eggs.

Wipe out the pan with a towel, then return it to the stove and add 2 tablespoons oil. Pour in the egg mixture, smooth down any potatoes that stick up, and cook over low heat until golden on the bottom, about 10 minutes. Invert the omelet onto a plate, slide it back into the pan, and cook until set, a few minutes.

We also made pizza this weekend with tomatoes canned last year, some sliced heirloom tomatoes from the garden and a basil puree drizzled on top. The puree was a first and worth sharing. This recipe is also from Deborah Madison, Vegetarian Cooking for Everybody.

Basil Puree

3 garlic cloves

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 cups basil leaves

1/2 teaspoon of salt

Pulverize the garlic with the oil in a blender, then add the basil by handfuls, followed by the salt. Puree until smooth. The mixture should be thin enough that you can easily spread over the pizza dough or drizzle over the top.

I elected to drizzle.