parmesan flans with tomatoes and basil

Last night I was looking through my old recipe notebooks - large black sketching books where I pasted recipes from Gourmet and other food magazines.  I put this in my notebook in July 2008 from Cooking Light, and always wanted to make it, and somehow never got to it until this morning.

The first batch was a flop - I oiled the ramekins, made the egg and parmesan mixture, poached gently, cooled - and tried to unmold them. Disaster, as the bottom stuck and the tops broke into pieces.  I wasn't giving up, so I whipped up a quick batch of quiche batter, oiled the ramekins again, and cooked in a hot water bath for 45 minutes.  This time it worked.  The flans are prone to breaking up, so use a small spatula to move them after you unmold them.

 Oil 3 or 4 ramekins with mild olive oil.  Set oven temperature to 340F.  Fill a pan halfway with hot water - it should be big enough for your ramekins to fit easily.

The egg-cheese mixture:

2 extra large eggs
1/2 cup medium cream
1/2 cup milk
a scraping of nutmeg
black pepper 
1 or 2 tablespoons goat cheese, crumbled (optional)
3/4 cup good grated Parmesan cheese

Mix well and divide between your four ramekins.  Place in hot oven and bake for 35 minutes (they should be soft but firm).
Using a potholder or kitchen towel, remove ramekins from hot water to cool.

Make the tomato mixture:

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved, then quartered (more if you need)
3/4 cup peeled, diced cucumbers
two small yellow mini peppers, seeded and diced
salt and pepper
1/4 cup sliced fresh basil leaves

Run a knife around the flans and carefully unmold about an inch from your platter.
Space the flans a few inches apart, then sprinkle the tomato and cucumber mixture over each one, then top with the slivered basil.

These are pretty mild tasting, so feel free to jazz them up, if you want.

My thyme plant has been attacked by birds, with a tiny few inches left.  I was puzzled, until I found this article.

Enjoy this beautiful day!

poached eggs with asparagus

I woke up at 5 am, hungry and as always, happy to see a new day.  There's always a thrill to rummage through the fridge, wondering just what might be perfect for this beautiful new day.  A fresh bunch of new skinny asparagus winked at me through the thin plastic bag. And?   Gently simmered in a little water until it was just tender.  Drained and set aside.      And what else?

Those marvelous eggs from Locally Laid, somewhere in Minnesota.  Ah, here it is - PO Box, Wrenshall, MN, also gently poached until the whites were opaque and the yolks a little firm when I pressed a fingertip to them after draining off the water, and set them on a plate.  A little cheese sauce, I think.

Add a little cheese, as always, here a half cup shredded sharp cheddar and mozzarella, salt and pepper, a little cream, in a small saucepan and set on very low heat until melty, and DONE.  Even though it melted, there was a milky residue in the saucepan, which I drained off.  It was too early to forage through the cookbooks for a proper creamy sauce.  A sprinkle of Italian parsley topped it off.

Note:  I tested a proper white cheese sauce later :
  3 T. butter
1.5 T. flour
Melt butter in a heavy bottomed saucepan and whisk in the flour on low heat.
Add 1/4 cup mozzarella, 1/4 cup cheddar, and 1/2 cup milk, salt and pepper.
Whisk until the sauce is smooth.  Drizzle over the eggs and asparagus.


All in all, a perfect breakfast on a very cold morning (8 degrees) . Here's to a beautiful new day!

kale, bacon, and boursin frittata

Ah, February.  While it does bring snow, and not as many of those subzero nights, it also seems to be the month I notice my clothes are a little tighter - which brings the inevitable diet.   I usually go on a modified South Beach/Keto/Paleo diet -high protein with low carbs, and try to step up exercise.  This time I have even more motivation:  a trip back to New Hampshire in two weeks to visit my son and family, and finally get to meet my new granddaughter!  Yay!!

This frittata is somewhat flat - not fluffy and high as many quiches are, but incredibly easy to throw together.  I try to keep a few pieces in the fridge at all times, so I don't have a snack attack while I'm standing by the warm pastries at my nearest convenience 
store.  I don't add a lot of cheese, but you're welcome to add more if you want.  Note that you need to prep the kale and bacon ahead of time.


Bacon,Kale, and Boursin frittata


Preheat oven to 340F.
Butter a glass pie dish, set aside.

In a large bowl combine:

4 extra large eggs
1/2 cup light cream or half and half
a handful of cooked bacon, crumbled or torn into small pieces
a heaping handful of tiny multi-colored tomatoes
1 cup blanched kale
fresh rosemary, stripped from stem
salt and pepper
1/2 cup crumbled boursin cheese (you can also make your own boursin with this recipe)

Pour into prepared pie dish, add the boursin on top, and bake for 35 minutes, or until the egg mixture is firm and fully cooked.

Let cool before cutting into slices.

That's it - easy as can be!  Hope you all have a wonderful day!

leek greens and sweet potato frittata

After making that creamy, oh-so-delicious vichyssoise the other day, the leftover leek greens greeted me every time I opened the fridge door.  Yes, I am one of those people who tries not to waste food and feels guilty every time I throw away yet another icky bag of old arugula or fresh spinach.

Wait a minute - what about a frittata? I poked through the fridge to see what might go with sauteed leek greens and found the fresh chives and a sweet potato.  The light green middle part of the leeks I washed carefully, then cut into 2 inch pieces and tossed in the food processor for a quick blitz - just enough to mince them - then did a quick saute in olive oil to soften them before adding them to the egg mixture.  It was so good I'm sorry there are no leftovers today  - it was last night's supper and it went very quickly!

Leek and sweet potato frittata

Preheat oven to 350F.

Cut off the light green leaves from the leftover leek greens and wash well. 
Cut into 2 inch pieces and briefly pulse in the food processor.  I ended up with 1 1/2 cups - if you have more, you can keep it in a container in the freezer to add to soups.
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil or butter in a skillet and add the leek greens.  Saute on medium-low until the greens are soft.  Take off heat and scrape into a bowl.  

The frittata:

Oil a 9 or 10 inch glass pie plate and set aside.

Mix together:

6 extra-large eggs
1 heaping cup of the cooked leek greens
kosher salt or Spike vegetable salt to taste
1 tablespoon minced fresh chives
1 cup grated, peeled sweet potato (I used a box grater - it was surprisingly easy)
lots of freshly grated pepper
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

Scrape mixture into the prepared pie pan and bake 20-25 minutes, or until the frittata is firm and golden on top.  Remove to cool before cutting into slices.

kale, scallion and sharp cheddar frittata

I think the biggest change going from a solitary, rural living situation, to living in a city with a blended family of grown children and grandchildren is cooking.  Gluten-free and vegetarian, and sometimes vegan meals have to be considered, so I was overjoyed when I found this recipe from Kalyn's Kitchen which, for now, everyone can eat.  She calls it an egg bake, I call it delicious, and the boys call it a frittata.  We primarily use Cabot's Seriously Sharp cheddar cheese, so I used that instead of mozzarella.  I added a few more eggs, because the egg mixture seemed a little scanty in the baking dish, but most of the recipe is Kalyn's.  (I also used a lower baking temperature because it's my habit when cooking eggs.)  And her addition of Spike as a seasoning was delicious, rather than my usual kosher salt, pepper, and dried or fresh herbs.  Total winner, all around.

kale, scallion, and cheddar frittata:

1 medium bunch fresh kale, stripped from stems and sliced - when I measured it came to      4 cups packed raw kale

2 tablespoons sweet olive oil or soft butter (for the dish)

1 1/2 - 2 cups grated extra sharp cheddar cheese

4 scallions (green onions) sliced

10 large eggs

1 teaspoon Spike seasoning

(optional: 2 teaspoons fresh minced dill)

Preheat oven to 350F.

Use your fingers to butter or oil a glass baking dish - mine was 9x13 inches.

Briefly cook the kale in a few inches of water until wilted.  Drain and set aside.

In a mixer bowl, add the eggs and beat briefly, then add the scallions, Spike seasoning, dill, and cheese.  Fold in the drained kale.

Pour the mixture into the dish, patting in evenly with your (clean) fingers or a spatula.

Bake for 30 minutes, remove to cool before cutting into squares.

                                 

One surprising thing about Minneapolis are the wild squirrels and bunny rabbits - they are everywhere, eating bushes and gardens.  I wondered why there were so many hostas here - it's one of the few things they don't eat.  I saw this little fellow leap up and cross to the house next door along the fence two feet away from me.  Bold little critters!

asparagus & eggs redux

Yesterday I had this breakfast on the terrace with oozy eggs, this morning I let them cook for 10 minutes, instead of 8 , and I much prefer the firmer eggs.  Luckily, there was just enough leftover asparagus (also cooked for 10 minutes in a separate pan with salted simmering water)), and a nice firm roll for dipping in the puddle of melted butter and lemon juice.  Even more delicious!

The sun is out and off to town to pick up the Sunday paper - have a glorious Sunday!

brunch on the terrace: asparagus & eggs

Finally most of the snow has melted away on the terrace  - until this week the gigantic snow drifts from the roof shoveling sat in the shade and refused to melt.  At last, at last! Happy Spring at last!

To celebrate, I had a late breakfast outside - a little wind and in-and-out clouds, but fresh air and the roar of the brook.  

Although I love fat asparagus, all I could find at the market were these skinny spears - so both the eggs and asparagus cooked 8 minutes (separately)  before taking off heat.  Drizzled with melted butter and a squeeze of lemon was all it needed.

And around the front of the house, the daffodils are growing inches everyday and about to pop. Best of all, the bugs have not woken up yet.  Happy Spring!



What I'm watching:  The movie "Chef".  Terrific!
What I'm reading:  Waging Heavy Peace by Neil Young - yes, I have a rock and roll past:)

egg salad sandwiches with celery, parsley and horseradish

Easter is one of my favorite holidays - and not because of chocolate rabbits.  Oh, no, it's all about eggs, which I love more than any food group you could imagine.  Eggs.  Egg salad.  Omelets, frittatas, soft-boiled, hard-boiled, fried, poached, quiches, you name it, I love it.  So you can imagine how I felt when I saw this post from Smitten Kitchen about the lowly simple hard-boiled egg sandwich.  

I read the post, but forgot to write down the recipe - instead soaring off to my own dreamland of egg.  Later I checked it and was surprised that Deb didn't use mayo, and I had also switched out horseradish for her dijon, but no matter - it was delicious.  Lots of parsley, and her pickled celery and red onion topping was inspired.

You will need:

2 hard-boiled eggs
2 tablespoons of minced celery
2 tablespoons minced red onion
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons minced Italian parsley
1/2 teaspoon bottled horseradish
2 pinches of kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 tablespoon Hellmann's mayonaise 

Hard boil two eggs for 10 minutes, pour off the water, then cover the eggs with cold water.  Set aside.

In a bowl, add the vinegar, sugar, water, and salt and whisk.  Add the minced celery and red onion and let sit for 20 minutes or more, then drain the celery and red onion and discard the vinegar water.

Peel the eggs and then mash the hard boiled eggs and scoop into a bowl.

Add the vinegared celery/red onion mixture, then add the horseradish, the parsley, the mayo, and the egg mixture.

Mound onto a slice of good bread, or a nice ciabatta roll, and top with arugula, if you have ( I did not).  Is that heaven or what?

egg timbales with chopped herbs

I have finally torn myself away from walking in this autumn wonderland - what a beautiful Fall it's been , every day glowing with bright oranges and golden yellows - and for once the lack of rain has lengthened leaf-peeking season.

To celebrate Monday, I decided to again make Craig Claiborne's egg timbales, which are  creamy, custardy unsweetened puddings with a generous amount of finely chopped herbs.  It's been years since I've looked up that recipe!  The only thing I was wishing I had added was a tablespoon of good Swiss cheese, but that's an indulgence  - I do love cheese. The timbales are very mild and soothing, and elegant enough for a brunch.

Here's the recipe I made today:

1 cup whole milk or light cream, scalded (which means heated to just under simmering or boiling)
3 large eggs, slightly beaten with a fork
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon minced scallions, greens included
1 tablespoon finely minced fresh dill (you can also use parsley)
1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon
Swiss cheese, grated, 1 tablespoon (optional)

Preheat oven to 325F.
Heat a kettle of water to just boiling.
Butter 3 standard ramekins or small ovenproof cups.
Add the scalded milk or cream to the eggs, whisking, then add the salt, herbs, scallions and the cheese, if desired.
Ladle the mixture into the ramekins.  Since they do not puff up, you can fill to just under the top of the ramekins.
Place the cups into a deep sided pan (I used a small cake pan with 2 inch sides), then pour the simmering water into the pan no higher than 3/4ths up the sides of the ramekins.
Set in oven for 35 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the middle of the ramekin comes out clean and the mixture is firm.

Serve with toast, English muffins, or a thick slice of buttered French bread.
Makes 3 servings.



Today I am sealing my bedroom floor, which is beautiful old wood - but after 150 years or so, has shrunk, leaving large cracks that let the cold air (and the mold) straight into my bedroom.  After that can I put down a rug or carpeting so no more cold feet in the winter:)

behold the humble egg

It is Easter Monday, and I'm gazing happily on my trove of colorful HB eggs. What to have first? The HB egg and tomato sandwich? The wasabi egg? Or maybe I should go check out Kalyn's post today on a plethora of HB egg recipes?

So while I'm trying to decide, I'll have a cup of coffee and go back to Alice Walker's

wonderous book " The Chicken Chronicles".

"...The other change is that you are molting. Which means you are throwing off all of your old feathers and new ones are coming through. You are not tidy, not neatly into your ordinarily compact and perfect chicken shape. You look a bit mussed. But you don't seen to notice, which is a lovely trait. Did humans ever have this? Did we ever go through our life changes without making a big deal about them? Did we ever, anywhere, have our hair fall out, new hair grow in, and not once try to find a mirror?

I like your lack of vanity. It is refreshing......You seem so clear about who you are. So certain you are just right as you are, that for all your intelligence and maybe in spite of it, you never seem to need a second opinion."

She writes to her beloved flock from India, after a visit with the Dalai Lama, signing off with "Mommy". How endearing is that?

Need more egg recipes? You can find everything from asparagus frittata to spinach quiche, and how to test your eggs for freshness in my index, here.

Hope your day is wonderful!

crustless spinach and parsley quiche with four cheeses

It's amazing how quickly our food tastes change with the weather. A few cold nights and I'm making quiches and soups and browsing through bread recipes . I love the scents of Autumn, including this fragrant crustless quiche loaded with my favorite vegetable ( spinach), a handful of parsley, and all my favorite cheeses, including a few tablespoons of an herby goat cheese I found recently. It's remarkable that that little bit of goat cheese can boost the flavor so much! Of course, if you can skip it if you don't care for goat cheese, maybe adding a little swiss or gruyere to the cheddar, parmesan, and mozzarella mix I use. I don't make a traditional quiche with a piecrust, mainly because I realized I never ate the crust, and neither did anyone else.

To make:

5 extra large eggs

1 1/2 cups milk

1/2 cup heavy cream

a few scrapings of nutmeg, or a hefty pinch

lots of freshly ground black pepper

kosher salt to taste

3 white mushrooms, wiped and sliced

2 cups packed sliced spinach, with a little parsley tossed in

about 2 cups of shredded cheese:

I use half cheddar and a mix of grated parmesan, mozzarella, and the goat cheese.

Preheat oven to 325F. Butter a 9" glass pie plate.

Beat the eggs briefly with the nutmeg and pepper and salt, then add the cream and milk and mix well.

Add in the spinach and parsley and the raw mushrooms, then the shredded cheeses.

Scrape into a buttered glass pie pan and cook for 50 minutes. The quiche should be firm in the middle - not watery. Remember it will keep cooking after you remove it from the oven.

Let the quiche set and cool before slicing - about 20 minutes.

I like to pair this with chunky Tomato soup and a fluffy green salad.

Enjoy the colors of the season!

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.

~

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.

~

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!

~

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

*

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

~

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

*

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!

beluga for the Oscars - beluga lentils, that is!

I'm getting a little punchy with this everlasting snow - which is now up to the kitchen window sill. So, when my neighbor gave me some of these lentils the other day and I discovered they were known as "Beluga" lentils, well - I had to have a little fun, didn't I?

Given that today is Oscar day ( which I only watch to see the dresses), a lot of people are hosting parties, and this would be a fun surprise: trimmed hard boiled eggs ( using only the white) filled to the brim with tiny black lentils. Save a little of the hard boiled yolk to make it resemble caviar even more - or top with scallions, parsley, or little bits of tomatoes. Not using the yolks also makes it less aromatically eggy and there's no mayonnaise, so it's dairy free.

To make about 3/4ths of a cup of cooked lentils:

Hard boil six eggs, drain, and leave to soak in cool water.

~

1/2 cup tiny black "Beluga" lentils

a bay leaf

2 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced

water to cover the lentils plus a few inches

Bring the water, lentils, garlic, and bay leaf to a boil, turn down to a medium simmer/boil and cook for about 12 minutes, or until lentils are cooked.

Drain the lentils and remove the garlic and bay leaf, then place the lentils in a bowl.

Add to the lentils:

2T. olive oil

1/2 t. cumin

1/2 t. ( or to taste) kosher salt

fresh pepper

a few squeezes of Sriracha hot sauce

1 T. fresh lemon or lime juice

Toss gently.

~

Peel the hard boiled eggs. Trim a tiny bit of the ends off so they'll sit upright.

Cut the trimmed eggs in half vertically.

Gently squeeze the eggs until the yolk pops out.

Fill the eggs with the lentil mixture, garnish with parsley, scallions, egg yolk, or your choice of garnish.

Keep chilled until about to serve.

~

If you have any leftovers, these would be a great brown-bag lunch!

Enjoy!

how fresh are your eggs?

New England has been frozen ( wrong word!) in this relentless, sizzling heat for three weeks. The humidity has been between 97 and 100% - not baking weather, or, for that matter, eating weather. It's also a time to change into your cape and become the Kitchen Policelady. No more leaving the quiche out for an hour; extra handwashing while handling sliced turkey or ham from the deli; no leaving the milk out - and time to test your eggs.

~

My eggs come from two local farms, so I trust the sources. The egg cartons are not stamped with a "use before" date, because the farmers reuse the cartons. While I often leave eggs at room temperature in the fall and winter, in summer weather they go straight into the fridge. But then I often find two half used cartons. How do I know if any of the eggs are too old?

~

The old fashioned way still works best for me - place the eggs in a large bowl of cool water. If any of the eggs float or bobble, they get thrown straight into the trash. If the ends tip up, but don't float, I put those into one carton labelled "baking" - I know they're still safe, but they aren't as fresh as the ones lying on the bottom of the bowl.

I know - you want to know why, right? Each egg comes with a tiny bubble of air in an air sac located at the fatter end of the egg. As the egg matures, the air sac gets bigger and bigger and the egg floats. You can find out everything you ever wanted to know about eggs here. So happy ( and safe) sizzling summer, everyone - and enjoy the beauty of the daylilies!

~

What I'm reading:

Donald Hall, Selected Poems 1946-2006

The Girl Who Fell from the Sky by Heidi Durrow

The Patron Saint of Liars by Ann Patchett, my favorite fiction writer!

fritta di asparagi: asparagus frittata with parmesan

Are you one of those people who tends to try a new recipe, and then eat it for weeks? I'm on week two of celebrating asparagus season with this quick and tasty frittata. No, it's not really a quiche, since there's no milk or cream - and it's quite flat, compared to quiche, but I've gotten hooked on it. It's a wonderful brunch or breakfast dish, and you can brown bag it ( with an ice pack) for lunch or a picnic. Add a nice salad and some sweetsies or fruit, and you're all set!

*

To make:

*

3 extra large eggs

1 T. water

2 T. olive oil

1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

salt and pepper to taste

4-5 spears of asparagus, tough ends removed, sliced diagonally in 1" pieces

1/2 t. basil, mint, oregano, or dill

*

Heat the olive oil in a heatproof skillet or omelet pan, swirling the oil around the sides of the pan.

Mix the eggs in a bowl with a fork, along with the water, herbs, salt and pepper, and parmesan.

Mix in the cut asparagus and pour into the hot skillet. Reduce heat to medium.

Turn on your broiler.

As the eggs cook, use a fork to gently pull the edges toward the center, and tip the pan so the inner egg mixture flows to the edges.

When the frittata looks firm and mostly cooked, take it off the burner and slide into the hot broiler. Keep your eye on it, and as soon as you see a tiny bit of browning, pull the pan out to cool.

Let sit for a minute, then run a dull knife around the edge of the frittata. Cut into 6 portions and serve. Serves 2 .

*

You might also enjoy Crustless spinach quiche with onion jam.

*

What I'm reading: How to Cook a Tart, ( which Tony Bourdain calls "gastro-porn")

Enjoy Spring!

tomato pie and sweet potatoes with rosemary

Pardon the long delay between posts - somehow I wrenched my back on Thursday, and it's been, well, a wee bit uncomfortable to sit at the computer. I pray tomorrow the orthopedist can figure out what went wrong and wave her magic wand. I wouldn't say I'm wussy about pain, but these last few days have been a challenge. (UNDERSTATEMENT)

This morning, I celebrated being able to stand by making a lovely tomato pie with spinach and basil for brunch, along with some sauteed sweet potatoes with sweet onions, bacon (optional), and fresh rosemary . Call it a getting-to-the-end-of-fresh-herb-season celebration! I know fresh herbs are available pretty much year round now in the supermarkets - but I swear they taste five times better straight out of the herb garden, don't they?

I suppose you could call the pie a quiche, but it's 1) crustless, and 2) has half the cheese I would put in a quiche, so voila! Tomato pie it is.

I used a 12" metal tart pan for this, but you could use a glass pie plate if you don't have a large tart pan.

To make:

Preheat oven to 330F. ( 325 is a little low for my oven, and 350 too high)

Butter or grease the pie pan you're using.

1 large tomato, sliced

1/2 large sweet onion, sliced

1 cup fresh spinach, destemmed and very thinly sliced

1/2 cup fresh basil, thinly sliced

1 cup grated sharp or extra sharp cheddar cheese - I use Cabot.

1/2 cup heavy cream

6 extra large eggs

1 1/2 cups milk

salt and pepper to taste

Arrange the onion and tomato slices in the bottom of the pie pan.

Mix the eggs, milk, cream and salt and pepper together well.

Add the cheddar, spinach , and basil in and mix well, again.

Pour into the pie pan and bake for around 50 minutes, or until the mixture is slightly puffed and firm in the very center.

Remove pie to a cooling rack and cool for 15 minutes before slicing.

Sweet Potatoes with rosemary, onion, and bacon

2 T. olive oil

1 T. unsalted butter (optional)

4 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into uniform chunks.

2 T. fresh rosemary leaves

1/2 sweet onion, large dice

salt and pepper

1/2 cup cooked and crumbled bacon

Heat the oil and optional butter in a skillet. Add the sweet potatoes, onion, rosemary, bacon, and salt and pepper and cook over medium heat for ten minutes.

Turn heat to low, cover, and cook until the sweet potatoes are tender.

Serve and enjoy!