Asparagus Season – I Love It – Steamed, Omelet, Frittata

I love it when our little asparagus patch begins producing and it seemed to be a little earlier this year thanks to the warm spring.  Cindy and I had it steamed and tossed in butter and parmesan as a side to some tuna steaks.

Then I was accumulating too much, so to use the thinner stalks I had as sauteed asparagus, onion, and Swiss cheese omelet for supper.

It was awesome.

The neighbors also asked me to pick their asparagus while they travel and I was swamped with it so I needed a dish that used a lot of it and this frittata seemed to fit the bill.  The recipe came from Giada on the Food Network.

Frittata with Asparagus, Tomato, and Fontina – Adapted from Giada

Ingredients:

6 large eggs

2 tablespoons whipping cream

1/2 teaspoon salt, plus a pinch

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

3 slices bacon, chopped

12 ounces asparagus, trimmed, cut into 1/4 to 1/2-inch pieces

1 tomato, seeded, diced ( ¾ cup of quartered cherry tomatoes for me)

Salt

3 ounces Fontina, diced shredded (see the verdict below)

Directions:

1. Preheat the broiler.

2. Whisk the eggs, cream, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper in a medium bowl to blend. Set aside.

3. Heat the oil and butter in a 9 1/2-inch-diameter nonstick ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add the asparagus and saute until crisp-tender.

4.  Add the tomato and a pinch of salt and saute until the tomatoes are warm.

5. Pour the egg mixture over the asparagus mixture and cook for a few minutes until the eggs start to set.

6. Sprinkle with cheese. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until the frittata is almost set but the top is still runny.

7. Place the skillet under the broiler. Broil until the top is set and golden brown on top.

I cooked it a little longer to brown but forgot the pic.

8. Let the frittata stand 2 minutes before serving.

We sided it with a little salad.

The Verdict:

After shredding the Fontina, I know why the recipe says diced, as it does not like being shredded, even cold from the fridge.  The frittata was delicious and Cindy and I liked the bacon addition - the dish was amazing according to her.  It was a great way to use up the asparagus and I will definitely use this recipe again.  

I’ve said this before but there is just no comparison between fresh-from-the-garden and most store-bought asparagus and between these three meals and the sauteed version we had with the snapper, we used all we had on hand.  If we get enough more, I’d like to deep-fry them in batter like these that Bev just had in Sint Maarten.

Photos can be enlarged by clicking on them and the blue words are links.

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by Almost Heaven South.

Larry

04/17/23 meal date