Friday 4 November 2016

FOOD FRIDAY - ASPARAGUS FRITTATA

“The easiest diet is, you know, eat vegetables, eat fresh food. Just a really sensible healthy diet like you read about all the time.” - Drew Carey

We like to eat, as much as possible, seasonal food. This is best exemplified of course by the seasonal fruit and vegetables that make their appearance at appropriate times of the year. There is a little bit of know-how involved in this, as the greengrocer does not always sell fresh, local produce. Nowadays, one may go shopping in Australia and come back with cherries from the USA, Canadian blueberries, New Zealand kiwi fruit, Fijian bananas and South African pineapples – not to mention Polish beetroot and South American yams.

If one knows what produce is in season at any time and one pays a little attention to the fine print in the labelling of the produce, one can be assured that what is bought is fresh, local seasonal produce. Yesterday we bought some local, new season asparagus, which looked so green and delectable that it was tempting to bite into it right there at the greengrocer’s. Instead we had to wait till we got home to make this asparagus frittata.

Asparagus Frittata
Ingredients
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup finely chopped leeks (white and pale green parts only)
2 and 1/2 cups thin asparagus, trimmed, cut on diagonal into 2-cm pieces
1 cup sliced stemmed shiitake mushrooms
8 large eggs
1 cup diced Fontina cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Method
Preheat the griller. Melt butter in a heavy ovenproof 25-cm-diameter nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add leeks and sauté 4 minutes. Add asparagus and shiitake mushrooms, sprinkle lightly with salt, and sauté until tender, about 6 minutes.
Whisk eggs, 3/4 cup Fontina cheese, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in medium bowl. Add egg mixture to skillet; fold gently to combine.
Cook until almost set. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup Fontina cheese and Parmesan cheese over the top. Grill until frittata is puffed and cheese begins to turn golden, about 3 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve with a fresh green seasonal salad.

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