Cool Meals for Hot Nights: Farm-to-Table Frittata

The latest recipe in our “Cool Meals for Hot Nights” series is for a Farm to Table Frittata and Baked Apple dessert. It comes from Colleen, the owner/publisher of SaratogaMama.com, an online resource for families in Saratoga County, New York (just outside Albany). If you have friends or family around upstate New York, please let them know about SaratogaMama!

For my recipe, I opted for a Farm-to-Table dinner, meaning all the fresh ingredients were purchased that day at our farmers market. In the pouring rain, my partner in crime Christine and I braved the market to collect our bounty.

The beauty of shopping at a farmers’ market is that your meal can be altered based on what fresh ingredients are available that day. We went in with a plan in mind, but due to the rain, and there not being bread at the market, we were forced to deviate; and forced to use the oven versus our intended heat source, the grill.

Armed with fresh eggs, sausage, broccoli, garlic and herb goat cheese, apples, salad greens and radishes, we embarked on our meal!

Photo courtesy of SaratogaMama.com

Appetizer: Sea Salt pita crackers topped with goat cheese and thinly sliced radishes

Dinner:  Broccoli Herb Cheese Frittata with green salad

Dessert: Baked Apples (with some delicious cookies from the farmers market)

RECIPE: Broccoli Herb Cheese Frittata

Ingredients

• 6 eggs, beaten
• 8 tablespoons butter, divided
• 2-ounce cheese (we used garlic and herb Chevre, goats milk cheese)
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• Pinch salt
• 1 cup broccoli
• 1/3 cup flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder

Directions

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a 10-inch ovenproof omelet pan over medium-low heat. Add the broccoli and saute them until cooked, turning often, about 10 to 15 minutes. Melt the remaining 5 tablespoons of butter in a small dish in the microwave.

Meanwhile, whisk the eggs, then stir in the cheese, melted butter, salt, pepper. Sprinkle on the flour and baking powder and stir into the egg mixture.

Pour the egg mixture over the broccoli and saute on medium-low heat to start cooking the egg mixture. When bottom is cooked, transfer to oven to finish baking in the 350-degree oven for about 15-20 minutes or until it is browned and puffed. It will be rounded and firm in the middle and a knife inserted in the frittata should come out clean. Serve hot.

Photo courtesy of SaratogaMama.com

RECIPE: Baked Apples

Core each apple and fill with cinnamon, and/or brown sugar, raisins, walnuts, pecans, ANYTHING goes! Put a pad of butter on the mix, then bake at 375 degrees for about 45 minutes.

Time saver tip: You can prepare these in the morning and put them in the oven whenever you’re ready.  We baked these at the same time as our frittata as well.

Photo courtesy of SaratogaMama.com