Asparagus Frittata

When the temperatures hit almost 100 degrees here the other day I wanted something light for dinner. Our supermarket had just gotten a delivery of  very fresh asparagus and as the season is almost over I decided to make an asparagus frittata. The original recipe calls for boiling the vegetables. I like them better roasted, so I baked them for 15 minutes in the oven to intensify the flavor and soften them a little.

Asparagus Frittata
(adapted from better homes and garden)


1 ½ lbs. fresh asparagus or two 9-ounce or 10-ounce packages frozen cut asparagus
1 medium yellow sweet pepper, cut into 1/4-inch strips
⅓ cup chopped onion
1 small zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced 1/4 inch thick (about 1 cup) (I used broccoli instead)
10 slightly beaten eggs
1 cup half-and-half, light cream, or milk
2 tablespoons snipped fresh Italian parsley
1 ¼ teaspoons salt
¼ - 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan


1. Butter a 2-quart rectangular baking dish; set aside.

2. If using fresh asparagus, snap off and discard woody bases. Scrape off scales, if desired. Cut into 1-inch pieces.

3. In a saucepan, bring about 1 inch water to boiling. Add asparagus, pepper strips, and onion; bring just to boiling. Reduce heat slightly; cover and boil about 1 minute or until crisp-tender. Drain well, reserving some asparagus tips for garnish. . (Here is what I did: Preheat your oven to 350 F. Line a baking tray with aluminium foil and put the prepared vegetables in one layer on the tray. Drizzle with some olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 15 minutes or until the vegetables get soft.) Spread asparagus-pepper mixture evenly in baking dish. Layer zucchini (or broccoli) slices over.

4. Combine eggs, half-and-half, parsley, salt, and pepper, parmesan and smoked paprika. Pour over vegetables in baking dish. Bake, uncovered, in a 350 degree F oven about 35 minutes or until a knife inserted near center comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes before serving . Garnish each serving with asparagus tips, if desired. Serve warm or cold.
Makes 8 servings.

Tomato Tart

A couple of weeks ago I bought the book "Harvest to Heat" from Darryl Estrine and Kelly Kochendorfer. On the cover of the book is a beautiful picture of a tomato tart and that picture was pretty much the reasons why I  bought the book. I was convinced that something that pretty had to be good and it turned out that I was absolutely right. A crunchy, buttery crust is filled with only a small amount of flavorful cheese and then layered with colorful Heirloom tomatoes. I know that it is not really 'tomato time' right now but sometimes you have to escape the cold winter here even if it is only through your food. My picture does not do the one in the book justice,  but let me tell you, the tart really looked fantastic and tasted even better.

Crème Fraîche Galette with Heirloom Tomatoes

by Naomi Pomeroy

Many varieties of summer's best heirloom tomatoes should be used for this rustic, French country-style tart. It can be served with various soft cheeses mixed with practically any herb that is abundant and in season.

Serves 4 to 6One 12-inch tart

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For the galette
1 cup all-purpose flour; plus more for the work surface 
1/2 tsp. coarse salt; plus more for the tomatoes 
1 tsp. baking powder 
1 stick (1/4 lb.) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces 
1/2 cup crème fraîche, chilled (I used sour cream)
1 pint tomatoes, a combination of heirloom cherry tomatoes and other tomatoes, cut in half or
sliced if large 
1/3 lb. semi-hard sheep's milk cheese, such as manchego (I used Parmesan)

For the garnish (optional)
1 bunch microradishes or baby radishes, washed and trimmed 
1 cup microgreens 
Extra-virgin olive oil 
Red-wine vinegar 
Coarse salt 

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Make the dough
Combine the flour, salt, baking powder, and butter pieces in the bowl of a food processor or in a medium bowl if blending by hand. Blend just until the butter is incorporated into the dry ingredients, making sure not to overmix (some butter the size of peas is fine). Mix in the crème fraîche, again making sure not to overmix. Turn the entire mix out onto a cutting board and gently push it together into a pile. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Make the fillingPut the tomatoes in a colander and sprinkle generously with coarse salt. Lay the tomatoes on several sheets of paper towel to drain (dried tomatoes will make a crisp tart).

In the meantime, heat the oven to 425°F. Dust a work surface well with flour and roll the dough into a 12-inch round about 1/8-inch thick. Dust flour under the dough if it starts to stick.
Carefully slide a rimless baking sheet under the dough. Leaving a 3-inch boarder, scatter the cheese on top of the dough, then arrange the tomatoes evenly over the cheese. Fold the edges of the dough over the tomatoes, making pleats as you fold and leaving the center of the tart open.
Bake the galette until golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes. Let cool on a rack.
While the galette cools, lightly dress the microradishes and microgreens with a bit of olive oil, some vinegar, and coarse salt. Drizzle the top of the galette with a touch of olive oil and a sprinkle of coarse salt. Slice the galette and serve with a few dressed microradishes and greens, if desired.

Tomato Pesto

During this time of the season you often need a dish that only takes a couple of minutes to prepare but is nevertheless tasty. This Pesto is very easy to make, tastes a little bit spicy (depending to the amount of cayenne pepper that you add) and keeps for a couple of days in the fridge. For my Pasta loving son this is the perfect comfort food whenever I have no time to make anything else at all. A little amount is adequate per person so don't worry that you won't have enough when you are preparing it.

Tomato Pesto

(serves 4)

from: On Top of Spaghetti

3/4 cup (one 6oz can) tomato paste,

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (210 ml)  extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon pine nuts

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne or crushed red pepper flakes

2 tablespoons tomato juice

2 plump garlic cloves, trimmed, peeled, and roughly chopped

1 lb (500 g) dried mostaccioli, penne, or rigatoni

freshly grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

2. Combine the tomato paste, olive, oil, pine nuts, salt, cayenne, tomato juice, and garlic in the bowl of a food processor. Run the motor until you have as smooth puree. Set aside at room temperature while you cook the pasta. 

3. Generously salt the boiling water and drop in the pasta. Cook, stirring often, until al dente. Drain reserving about 1/2 cup of the pasta water. Transfer the pasta to a heated serving bowl. Add enough of the pesto to coat the noodles generously. Add a little pasta water, a tablespoon at a time, if it seems too thick. Sprinkle with cheese and pass more Pecorino Romano and any remaining pesto at the table.