Frittata Primavera

I've been wanting to try my hand at frittata for a while now.  I am a big fan of eggs.  They're so versatile, tasty, filling, and healthy.  I came across a good-looking recipe in Mark Bittman's Food Matters (a book I will eventually read cover to cover), and last night I finally decided to give it a go.  I love that the recipe is flexible; you can basically use any combination of veggies, meat (or not), and cheese (or not) that you feel like (or have on hand), so it's a very simple and obvious choice for a busy weeknight.  On this particular weeknight, I was busy because I met my adorable and fashionable friend after work for a glass of wine and some shoe shopping.  After a glass of delicious California Cab and having acquired these little beauties,

Oh how I love these!!!

I took my tired and hungry self home, grabbed an armload of veggies from the fridge, and started slicing.

I heated some olive oil and butter in a skillet, and added:

Half a Vidalia onion,

Some sliced red cabbage (why is this called "red?"  It is clearly purple.),

5 stalks of green garlic, sliced,

10 stalks of asparagus, purple and green,

A few leaves of spinach, ribboned,

and 3 eggs, salt and pepper, and about 3/4 cup of jack cheese with basil.

This is after about 10 minutes of undisturbed time on a very low flame, and 3 minutes under the broiler.
Does it look amazing to you?  I'm hungry again just looking at it.

Dinner is served!  Frittata, a piece of toasted Italian bread, and a tiny glass of Chardonnay.

Though it's only 3 eggs, it is a LOT of food.  Especially just for little old me.  So I saved half of it for lunch today.  So healthy, so springy, so delicious!  Buon appetito!

More-Vegetable-Than-Egg Frittata
adapted slightly from Mark Bittman's Food Matters

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 onion, peeled and sliced
salt and freshly ground pepper
4 to 6 cups of chopped or sliced raw of cooked vegetables, drained of excess moisture if necessary
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, or 1 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon or mint leaves (optional)
2 or 3 eggs
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, optional

Put a tablespoon of the olive oil in a skillet and turn the heat to medium.  When the oil is hot, add the onion and cook, sprinkling with salt and pepper, until it's soft, about 3 minutes.  Add the vegetables, raise the heat, and cook, stirring occasionally, until they soften, anywhere from a couple of minutes for greens to 15 minutes for sliced potatoes.  (I added each vegetable separately, as I sliced, so that I could eat faster.  Just slice and add the longer-cooking-time veggies first.)  Adjust the heat so the vegetables brown a little without scorching.  (If you're starting with precooked vegetables, add them to the onions and give a couple of good stirs before proceeding.)

When the vegetables are nearly done, turn the heat to low and add the basil.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until the pan is almost dry, up to another 5 minutes for wetter ingredients like tomatoes or mushrooms.  Add cooked meat, if desired, just before adding the eggs.

Meanwhile, beat the eggs with some salt and pepper, along with the cheese if you're using it.  Pour over the vegetables, using a spoon if necessary to distribute them evenly.  Cook, undisturbed, until the eggs are barely set, 10 minutes or so.  (You can set them further by putting the pan in a 350 degree oven for a few minutes, or running it until the broiler for a minute or two.)  Cut into wedges and serve hot, warm, or at room temperature. 

P.S. The shoes are from Banana Republic.  Just in case you need them too.  ;)