Farmers' Market Frittata With Asparagus, Sorrel & Goat Cheese
carrie
Asparagus. One of the best, first signs of spring.
Asparagus and eggs are just made for each other. Here, I've paired eggs from Breakway Farms with fresh chevre from Flint Hill, and sorrel from the amazingly talented folks at Pheasant Hill. (Can someone please send me local organic asparagus? I can't seem to get to John Wilson's office at Lafayette fast enough to get the bunches from his farm.) This recipe has been kickin' around for a while. With Easter past us and spring here, eggs are on the brain—hens are productive this time of year, y'know. Frittatas are a great quick weeknight dinner and a fridge-clearing dish. It almost seems silly to give you a recipe for it, but you can't assume anything. I've definitely made some that didn't go so well, and in those cases, timing and prep issues were typically the culprits.
Frittatas, which are basically a crustless quiche, are typically heavy on the egg; I've seen recipes that call for double-digit amounts. When I make them with veggies that are more watery, I typically reduce the eggs to six. With asparagus, which takes up a lot of room in the pan and doesn't reduce, you need 6-8 eggs (I used 8 large).
Now that we're into the market season, which means recipes will be simpler and I can write things like "1 bunch" and that makes me happy. If you aren't lucky enough to live near farmers who grow sorrel, you can sub something like kale or spinach but just know it may take a little longer for it to wilt a bit. Sorrel turns brown quickly when you cook with it so that's why I've added it at the very end, like an herb. I adore its zippy, lemon-like flavor. My kids were eating it right out of the bag (I kept saying, "I have to wash it first!") and Miles pronounced it "absolutely delicious." If your crowd can handle all these greens, I highly recommend serving a salad of arugula and sorrel alongside, tossed with freshly grated Parm right off the block and a lemon-olive oil vinaigrette.
Ingredients
- 2 T of unsalted butter or coconut oil
- 1 bunch (approximately 1 pound) asparagus, woody stems snapped or chopped off about 1-2 inches from bottom, and cut into 2-inch chunks on the diagonal (just looks pretty that way, trust me)
- 1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced including 3/4 of the green part
- Zest of one lemon
- 6-8 farm fresh eggs (Note: farm eggs vary in size; I used 8 large-ish)
- 1 8-inch cast iron or nonstick skillet
- 2 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
- 1/2 cup sorrel, chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
1. Set your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together your eggs and zest, adding a splash of milk if you desire but it's not necessary. Add a couple of pinches of salt and some freshly ground black pepper. Eggs need this and they can take it, so don't be shy.
3. Heat your butter or oil in a pan over medium-low heat and add the asparagus. Cook 2-3 minutes until it starts to become a bit tender. Add the scallions and cook 1-2 minutes. Add the eggs, pouring them evenly over the asparagus. Wait another 2-3 minutes. Crumble your goat cheese around the pan, followed by the sorrel. Cook for about 5-7 minutes until the edges start to look set and the frittata starts to get puffy, but the middle is still wet.
4. Transfer your ovenproof skillet or cast iron pan to the preheated oven. Bake for about 10 minutes until the middle looks set and the whole thing looks puffy and golden (to your liking). Alternately, you can turn the oven up to broil at this stage, after it's baked for 10 minutes, in order to brown the top a little bit.
5. Take it to the table. Cut it into slices however big you like. You can get four super-huge slices or eight moderate slices. If you and your crowd can handle more greens, serve with the aforementioned loosely described salad.
How do you like your frittatas?
