Friday, June 3, 2011

Rite of Passage Frittata

Recipes from home.  They were an important part of Lucia's game plan when she moved into her first independent apartment this summer, in Burlington, VT, the college town where she spends September through May.

Lucia, our youngest, will leave her teen years behind when she turns 20 on September, 11, 2011, and this move is a major rite of passage for her.  She's thrilled at the prospect of holding two two jobs (Dunkin Donuts and Coldwater Creek), looking forward to living near her best buds in nearby student digs, and experiencing a little frisson of possibility from furnishing her first student kitchen.

In all that novelty and scary independence, Lucia asked for a tether to home: copies of our best-loved family recipes. I rounded them up, copied them, and put them into a binder for her. Veggie pesto pizza.  Ginger-lentil soup.  Orzo with feta and cherry tomatoes.  Spinach pancakes.  Tabbouleh.  Chocolate cake.  Bruschetta with white beans and walnuts.  Peppermint bark.  Brownies. Frittata with corn, potato, and scallion.

Then we packed her up...




...and drove to Hinesburg, VT, where some of her stuff was in a storage unit that had once been a barn, standing by this roadside.


We unloaded the storage unit and got Lucia and all her stuff into her new apartment, the one on the right, 60 Loomis Street:

Then we took her out for more stuff. Nightstand from Goodwill.  Mattress cover.  Sheets.  Frying pans, pot holders, spatulas.  Dishes and flatware.  Olive oil and granola bars.  Orzo and scallions. Dish soap and cereal.

After Joe and I left for the four-hour drive home to West Hartford, Lucia and her roommate, Bridget, made their first independent meal in their first independent apartment:  Corn, scallion, and potato frittata.



 
This frittata makes a perfect brunch or lunch — it works especially well for a picnic. And on a steamy summer night, it may be all you need for dinner. Adding a green salad and a nice piece of bread is an easy way to round out the plate.
Yield: Makes 4 (light main course) servings
Active Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
ingredients
1 bunch scallions, white and green parts sliced separately
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large russet (baking) potato, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice
2 cups corn kernels (10 oz), thawed if frozen
4 large eggs
4 oz mozzarella, coarsely grated
preparation
Cook white part of scallions and garlic in 2 tablespoons oil in a 10-inch nonstick skillet over moderate heat, stirring, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add potato and cook over moderately low heat, stirring, until tender, about 10 minutes. Add corn and salt and pepper to taste, then cook, stirring, about 1 minute for thawed corn or 3 minutes for fresh corn.
Preheat broiler.
Whisk together eggs, mozzarella, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir in potato mixture and scallion greens.
Heat remaining tablespoon oil in cleaned skillet over moderate heatuntil hot but not smoking. Then cook frittata without stirring, shaking skillet once or twice to loosen frittata, until underside is golden but top is still wet, about 6 minutes. Remove from heat.
If skillet handle is not ovenproof, wrap handle in a double layer of foil. Broil frittata about 3 inches from heat until top is just set and golden, about 2 minutes. Slide onto a plate and cool to warm or room temperature


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