When I come across a great deal, whether it’s food, clothing, shoes, toiletries (did I mention shoes?), I end up purchasing WAYY more than I need. It’s no longer a “great deal” at that point. I know this. Nonetheless, it’s one of my greatest joys in life so please don’t take that away from me ;). As you may have noticed, there are plenty of zucchinis to be had this time of the year. Just about every stand at the Farmers Market that I go to every Saturday morning sells them for around $3 per basket of 3 or 5 if they are really generous. While I can’t stock up like I would toilet paper, more than our fair share have been “mysteriously” dropping into my basket lately. One of these days, we would like to grow our own zucchini. But apparently they attract the notorious squash vine borer (have you seen pictures? Wow..), which I am clearly not ready for. I know I know….insects are to be expected but still. This one in particular’s a bit much. One of these days… In the meanwhile, we are waiting patiently for our tomatoes to grow some legitimate leaves. Notice how they’re all clumped together? Let’s just call it a rookie mistake, but we are looking forward to separating them and spacing them out soon. They are incredibly precious to us right now as they’re the only seeds that sprouted in our first garden.
Earlier this week I made a zucchini basil frittata for dinner. Breakfast for dinner was what I wanted more than anything. The recipe comes from the William Sonoma’s Bride and Groom Cookbook that I received as as gift from my sister-in-law when we first got married. That was 6 years ago. Back then I did not cook nor did I have any desire to. Thus, this beautiful cookbook has been neglected all these years. The frittata is the very first recipe I’ve tried from the book, and I can tell it’s going to quickly become one of our go-to dishes on lazy days. With just 5 ingredients and 30 minutes of prep time, this zucchini basil frittata can be made any time of the day w/o any fuss. To prepare the zucchini: wash, cut off the ends, and cut into long narrow sticks. I used my handy dandy mandoline. If you don’t own one, do try your best to cut them into equal-sized sticks to ensure faster and even cooking. I used 2 diff. colors bc it’s prettier that way ;).
Heat the olive oil in an 8-in nonstick, ovenproof frying pan over medium heat. I emphasize 8-in as it creates the most perfect thickness. If you have a cast iron skillet, I would use it as I hear that the frittata tends to stick less to the bottom. I, unfortunately, do not own a nonstick pan that can be transferred to the oven, so I had to make do with my copper stainless steel pan (I was so set on making this frittata). It was a bit challenging removing the frittata from the pan, but we managed to do so w/o harming its integrity. Note to self: be on the lookout for a great deal on an 8-in cast iron skillet ;). Sauté the zucchini for 1-2 min and season w/salt and pepper. Stir in the ricotta and basil, and pour in the eggs that have been beaten and seasoned lightly with salt.
Place pan in the oven and bake at 350°F for about 8-12 min, until the frittata has risen and is set. Simple, right? I love ricotta cheese but was skeptical of its use as the primary cheese. I’m used to the bolder flavors of parmesan or cheddar. However, it added the perfect amount of creaminess without being too overpowering. The zucchini and basil are truly the stars of this dish. Serve with a dollop of sriracha (or ketchup if you are not into the bold flavor of the rooster sauce) and crusty bread, salad, fruit, or what have you, and you’ve got yourself a humble, cozy meal. Recipe from Bride and Groom Cookbook Hope you have a wonderful weekend! I’m traveling today to visit one of my college be sties. I look forward to unplugging and enjoying great company ;). I can’t wait!!
