Fridgettata

Maybe you also have a really clear memory of the first time you cooked for yourself. I certainly do--the summer after my first year of college, I went to Chicago for an internship, knowing no one, having no place to live. Probably the boldest thing I have ever done. Going to the grocery store to buy food for no one but myself was daunting. Of course, being a weirdo, I had a very solid vision of what my cooking style would look like once I was living on my own, with neither my parents nor college dining hall staff to cook for me--so it was also pretty exciting. I was so sure I would know what I was doing, and would be able to cook smartly and cheaply, and would have a beautifully stocked pantry and a well thought out freezer. What those articles, with their beautiful photography, forget to mention is that this is sort of a difficult method of cooking to accomplish when cooking for one--especially one who didn't really know what she was doing. I didn't buy too much stuff for the grocery store, but I also didn't buy the right things. I had thought I would make a vegetable frittata---supposedly simple, right? And for the most part, it was...right down until the cooking time. A new oven, my first frittata...I had overcooked the vegetables initially, a problem that was not helped by the fact that I proceeded to cook the heck out of the frittata in the oven--it must have been in there, slowly drying out, at 500 degrees for about 40 minutes. Not a good scene. It came out of the oven, I remember, looking like puffy, speckled leather and tasting much the same. Over the course of the next few days, I ate all of it, not feeling comfortable enough to acknowledge my first try (and failure) and move on. There were a lot of questions that I asked myself, like "why did I have the oven on in 70 degree weather?" and "why did I use wintry vegetables like celery and carrots in June?" and "what the hell was I thinking?"

Luckily, the rest of that summer was colored by my first culinary successes--fresh cherry pies, gazpacho, guacamole-stuffed cherry tomatoes, and eventually a decent frittata. As with all things, it took some time to come into my own style of cooking; a style based on three equally important pillars of what I want to eat, what's in season, and what I have lying around the house that should be used up. I find this leads to an off-the-cuff style that makes me happy, because I feel thrifty and inventive at the same time. And, in this case, really satisfied. I hope you also make a frittata with whatever you've got lying around, using some good sense in choosing vegetables and just relaxing into the inventiveness of cooking on a weekend morning without leaving your apartment. And if it turns out terribly, think highly enough of yourself not to eat it, and to try again. 

We had these lovely little heirloom tomatoes lying around that were about a day away from turning into fuzzy monsters destined for compost. I cannot wait until these are actually in season...the colors are just gorgeous.

Since spring greens and fresh veggies should abound in the next few weeks, I decided to use up some frozen spinach (making sure to remove as much water as possible!).

Chop your onion, potatoes, and garlic (not pictured because I forgot...if it makes you feel better you can imagine the garlic hiding in the pile of chopped onions. Actually, why don't you go ahead and do that...thanks!). I had these potato patties in the freezer leftover from Passover, and thought they'd bulk up the dish nicely. They did!

 Combine the eggs, milk, salt and pepper in a bowl...

 And beat well until frothy.

 Add the bright rainbow of tomatoes and spinach to the sunny eggs...definitely what breakfast is supposed to look like. 

 Add the less colorful root vegetable and allium (I love that word...) and stir to combine. 

Still colorful! While I think taste is always more important than how something looks, food that is pleasing to all the senses is the best of all possible worlds. Pour mixture into a buttered or oiled pie dish, and pop in the oven. Make sure to check on it after 15 minutes to make sure the top is not getting too brown. All ovens are a bit different, but mine was perfect after 25 minutes at 375 degrees.

 Mmm. A lovely spring frittata for a lovely spring morning, with roommates, the New York Times, and some coffee drunk from an Obama birth certificate mug. 

Pretty, delicious hot or cold, good for crowds or leftovers, simple to throw together...what more could you want on a lazy Saturday? 

Fridgettata

Note: You could seriously use any vegetable here, accounting for season and what you have lying around. Below I suggest you can even use leftover mashed potatoes for a little heft instead of patties--some cooked leftover pasta would not be amiss either, about 1/2 cup in place of the potatoes. I like this proportion of eggs to filling a lot, but feel free to use fewer eggs and more vegetables if you're into that. This was delicious by itself, but would be great with a salad.  

• 1/3 cup wilted spinach, water squeezed out and finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 small onion, finely chopped 
• 1/2 cup mashed potatoes or 2-3 cooked hash brown patties (chopped)
• 3/4 cup diced tomatoes 
• 7 eggs
• 2 Tablespoons milk
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• Olive oil or butter for greasing the baking dish
• Grated parmesan, for serving (optional) 

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Combine spinach, garlic, onion, potatoes, and tomatoes in a bowl.
3. Beat eggs with milk, salt and pepper until frothy.
4. Add vegetable mixture to egg mixture and stir well to combine. Pour into a well-buttered or oiled pie dish.
5. Bake n the middle of the oven for 25 minutes or until middle no longer jiggles and a knife comes out clean from the center. Check after 15 minutes to make sure the top does not brown.
6. Cut into wedges and serve with parmesan.