,One of the greatest things about summer is a garden, the harvest from which really makes it all worthwhile. Some of the more prolific producers for me – aside from perhaps my abundant tomato plants (to make juice and now homemade catsup) – are my zucchini plants. The only problem is, one day I look and the zuc’s are fairly small. Three days later, they are the size of a football! What can be done with all these giant zucchinis?
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Zucchini Frittata: A Breakfast Treat
For those who like zucchini bread, half of one zucchini, the size of which is depicted here, will easily make two delicious loaves. At least part of the other half can be used to make an exquisite and tasty zucchini frittata that will easily serve breakfast for six people.
The prep is easy and quick, and the cost is downright cheap! If you want to add additional flavor – and a tad of additional cost – substitute Fontina cheese for the Italian version, and use shitake mushrooms instead of the button variety. You’ll love the enhanced flavors!
Ingredients
- 1 ½ – 2 Cups shredded fresh garden zucchini
- ½ Cup chopped, fresh garden onion. Use both white and green parts
- 5-6 button mushrooms
- 8 large eggs
- 1 cup shredded Italian cheese (note: this is a blend of Mozzarella, Provolone, Romano, Asiago and Parmesan cheeses) As mentioned above, substitute Fontina
- ¼ Cup Parmesan cheese
- ½ teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
- ½ teaspoon white pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
Instructions
Heidi has a vintage Kitchen-Aid mixer with all the attachments, so the quickest and easiest way to grate the zucchini is to use the “Rotor Slicer & Shredder” attachment – especially if you intend to grate the whole zucchini at once. (I used to use the old-fashioned hand shredder, but it just took a bit longer!) Set aside about 2 cups. Thinly slice the mushrooms and set aside. Chop the onions and set aside.
Pre-heat the oven to about 400 degrees F.
Whisk/beat the eggs well and then add about 2/3 of the shredded Italian cheese to the egg mix. Meanwhile, begin heating a heavy sauté pan (I have a Calphalon Nonstick 10-inch Omelette Fry Pan that works really well).
Make sure that the pan is really hot before you start, as the amount of ingredients plus the water in them will quickly cool the pan and cause the eggs to stick if you don’t.
When the pan is very hot, add the oil and swirl to coat the bottom and sides, then add the butter. Add the onion and sauté until opaque – about 2 minutes. Now, add the zucchini and sauté another 2-3 minutes, stirring to mix the contents of the pan. Lastly, add the mushrooms, stir mixture, and sauté for another 2-3 minutes.
Now, add the egg mixture to the pan and fold into the veggies. Continue cooking until eggs are thoroughly blended. Remove from the heat and place in pre-heated oven for 4-5 minutes, or just until eggs are about set.
At this point, briefly remove pan from oven and add the remaining Italian cheese and top with parmesan. Change the oven setting to broil and return pan to oven.
In about 3-4 minutes, the frittata should be puffed and bubbly, with a golden-brown crust on top.
Serving
Cut it into wedges and serve with bright green asparagus or red, ripe garden tomatoes, your choice of potatoes or rice (I like either American-fried potatoes or Spanish rice), and perhaps a glass of crisp, white wine.
What a great way to enjoy your harvest!
