two quick frittatas - and one blue egg

For the first several years of my life, I lived on a saltwater farm a sand dune or two away from Cape Cod Bay. Remarkably , I remember my father putting me in an empty sheep stall for safety, while he did the chores. I can't have been older than 15 months, but the scent of hay and the soft sounds of the sheep, and chickens, and cow are remembered with a profound sense of total contentment.

As I got to the older toddler stage, my father said he never worried about where I was - because all I did was patiently walk behind the chickens, arms outstretched, for hours. It didn't seem to be a desire to hold them as much as be a part of the flock.

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I not only adore chickens, but their eggs to me are the most perfect food in the world - and beautiful, as well. I never jumped on the "one egg a week" bandwagon, because I figured you couldn't get anything so perfect, so simple, so organic and have it be bad for you.

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For years I've had an omelet or two a week, maybe two gently fried eggs, or the soft boiled egg with buttery toast fingers, but lately I've swung over again to the frittata. The Italian method of cooking frittatas on low heat seem to keep the eggy batter very tender, as opposed to the quick high heat used with omelets. And it's versatile : a few strips of cooked bacon and a handful of fresh rapini are just as lovely as a cup of fresh asparagus and a sprinkle of fresh dill. Frittatas are cooked in olive oil, not butter, with a spoonful of grated parmesan stirred into the eggs, so they feel quite substantial. As soon as the first summer tomatoes arrive, I can imagine a basil-and-tomato frittata with a fair amount of excitement. Anyway, here's the recipes - enjoy!

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This recipe serves two, made in an omelet pan, and cut, traditionally, into quarters, two per person.

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Asparagus Frittata with fresh dill

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1 T. olive oil

1 cup sliced fresh asparagus

4 large eggs

1 T. finely grated parmesan cheese

1 t. minced fresh dill

kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper

Heat omelet pan and olive oil on medium low. Add the asparagus and cook until tender. While the asparagus is cooking, beat the eggs, dill, and parmesan together well, then pour over the cooked asparagus. As it cooks, use the spatula to lift the edges of the frittata, so the uncooked egg flows to the hotter bottom part of the pan. While the top is still a little uncooked, place under a preheated broiler and cook very briefly, just until the egg is set.

Take off heat, let sit for a minute, then slide onto a plate and cut into quarters.

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Rapini and Bacon frittata

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a few strips of thick cut bacon, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces and cooked, then set aside.

1 cup rapini, cut into strips

1 T. olive oil

4 large eggs, beaten well

1 T. grated parmesan

salt and pepper as needed

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Heat the olive oil, then add the cooked bacon and the rapini and cook for two minutes.

Add the parmesan to the eggs, beat again, and pour over the bacon and rapini. Again, lift the edges of the frittata and let the uncooked egg mixture flow to the bottom of the pan. While the top is not quite set, slide under a preheated broiler and cook just until set. (about a minute).

Slide onto a plate, let cool a minute, then cut into the traditional quarters, then dig in.

On the blog a year ago:

Dark Chocolate and Coconut pudding - dairy free!