Frittata

There is a time in late August (for me it usually happens on or around the 20th) when I think that the delights of summer will never end, when leaves seem as though they will never turn and it is hard to remember ever wearing a sweater, much less your winter jacket. How glorious it is to bite into a warm ripe peach and see the juice trickling onto bronzed skin. (I once shared a peach in this way with a man I met in Italy - he said it was the most sensual thing he had ever done.....He was very young.)

Indeed, if the powers that be thought to design something as glorious as midsummer, (with all the ripe fruit if offers) and then have the unimaginable generosity of spirit so as to give it to us, asking nothing in return except that we enjoy it, why would they take it away and give us the poor consolation prize that is November?

Why indeed!

I suppose you could lament, rend your garments, and hoard peaches, but there is no use in that. It is the destiny of man to wait and rejoice and mourn. Each must be felt in equal measure to remind us that we are alive. And so as the seasons turn and we turn inward I would like to offer you a dainty dish that will warm your heart and mind and kindle sunlight within you, so that even on the most dank dark day you will feel as though August has never left you.

I will start with something called a Frittata, which to my mind sounds like something an English duke would say upon exiting a room, but in reality is a very satisfying open-faced omelet with vegetables that comes from Italy. Like most dishes from Italy, it is straightforward, but harnesses the individual gifts of each of its ingredients in a way that maintains their integrity. What is more, it is an economical dish to prepare and is delicious hot or cold. You can serve it for breakfast with toast and coffee, or for a light lunch with a green salad and a glass of wine. It also travels well, because it cooks up like a pie and can be cut in wedges and taken with you as you brave the world.

Before you begin, it is essential that you choose some music to listen to as you work, something that will inspire you, and is in harmony with the food. I would recommend some choral music from the 16th century. I listened to a Lutheran mass for Christmas morning by Michael Praetorious when I last made this dish. It was suitably reverential and peace-giving. This music was written for the sole purpose of praising the divine. A frittata is made to celebrate the glory of simple food. Simple faith, simple food... you get the idea.

Frittata with Fall Vegetables and cheese:

Ingredients (physical):

6 eggs (when you break them open, they look like the sun...a good start!)
1 tbsp water
pinch salt and freshly ground pepper
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2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 red pepper, peeled, cored, seeded and cut into strips
1 small zucchini, cut into quarters and sliced
1 tomato, peeled, seeded and diced
1/2 tsp dried basil
pinch sugar
salt and pepper to taste

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1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated finely
1 tbsp butter

A note on preparing vegetables:

How fussy it is to peel and seed tomatoes and peppers. But if you give these humble vegetabes but a few moments of your time your palate and digestion will appreciate it infinitely! Instead of bits of indigestible skin and kernel, you will have a luscious Mediterranean mouthful of vegetables bathed in olive oil that gives you nothing but pleasure.

To peel tomatoes:

Cut an "x" in the non-stem end of the tomato. Cover with boiling water and leave for 30 seconds. Drain and rinse with cold water. The skin will come off very easily.

To peel peppers:

Before cutting peppers, just peel with a vegetable peeler,as much as you can.


Method:

Preheat the broiler.

In a small bowl, whisk together eggs, water, salt and pepper. Set aside.
Heat an medium, nonstick frying pan over medium heat. When it is hot, add the olive oil. When the oil is heated, add the onions, and cook until they are softened. About 5 minutes. Then add the zucchini, peppers and garlic. Season with salt, pepper and basil. Cook until vegetables are softened. Add tomatoes and sugar, and cook until tomatoes have broken down and all the liquid is evaporated. Turn heat to medium-low, and pour in egg mixture. Stir so that eggs and vegetables are well combined. Cook slowly - the mixture will take some time to set. When you see tiny holes on the top of the frittata, it is almost done. The top won't be set. That is okay. This is when the magic happens.

Top the frittata with the cheeses, and place the pan under the broiler until the top is set and the cheese has begun to brown. If your pan has a plastic handle, do not fear. Just open the door to your oven and hold the pan close to the broiler, making sure to keep the plastic handle out of the oven. Return the pan to the stove, and gently coax the sides of the frittata from the pan with a spatula. Slip little bits of butter underneath the frittata... This will create a brown crust and help release the frittata from the pan if it is stuck.

The frittata is now done. The top and bottom are brown and crusty... the cheese is melted, and the egg and vegetable mixture is unctuous and well flavoured.

Cut into wedges and serve. This frittata will serve 4 people sensibly. But I only ate a quarter of it when I prepared it this morning, and I am hungry for more.
It is all a question of appetite!

When you see the frittata on your plate, all golden and red and toasty, with suggestions of green throughout, you may think of the turning leaves. You may contrast it with the grey of the clouds, and think about the changing seasons. You may just think "Yum! Eggs with tasty bits!"

That is okay, too.

May you eat with a happy heart!