What I made For Dinner Last Night--The Eggs Have It

It's egg time.  Being that I live in a somewhat ex-urban part of Connecticut, I have a lot of friends who raise chickens, and they always seem to have far more eggs then they can ever use.  I'm also fortunate enough to have several farms nearby that raise their own chickens and sell the eggs.

For those of you who don't know a lot about chickens and egg laying (now I'm not professing to be an expert, but this is what I'm told), chickens pretty much stop laying eggs when it gets cold, and then begin again once the weather warms up.  

So after a long Winter's drought, I have friends calling and asking if I'd like a dozen or so fresh eggs.

Needless to say, every Spring I usually start moving eggs up in the meal rotation.  

A couple of years ago (has it really been that long?) I blogged about Mark Bittman's More Vegetable Less Egg Frittata Recipe.   The concept is simple, you load up a pan with vegetables, and then just let the egg act as a binder.   Instead of eggs with a little vegetable, you get vegetables with a little egg.

Bittman inspired me to come up with my own versions of his More Vegetable Less Egg Frittata.  What goes into the pan is usually inspired by what vegetables are in season, and whatever I have in my fridge.   Also, to further refine Bittman's healthy vision, I substitute half egg whites for whole eggs. 

So here is what I did last night (sorry but I didn't write down exact amounts).  Earlier in the day I had stopped by a local farm stand that sells fresh eggs from their own chickens, asparagus they cut right out of their field, along with other fruits and vegetables.    I bought some eggs and an assortment of other fresh vegetables, along with a locally made goat's milk cheese the farm also sells.

First I sauteed some chopped red onion in olive oil in my big cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. I steamed two big bunches of chopped, fresh picked Asparagus and added them to the pan.   Then I chopped up a couple of tomatoes I had on hand (not from the farm), and added them with some balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper to the pan.  I cooked everything down for a while then added chopped fresh arugula to the pan and cooked until it was wilted.  

I then whisked together 5 whole eggs and five egg whites with the goat's milk cheese which I crumbled into the mixture.  I added the egg/cheese mixture to the pan and cooked for a few minutes, then I placed the pan in a pre-heated 350 degree oven, and cooked for another 20 minutes.

I served the fritatta with a crusty, multi-grain bread and a big salad on the side (salad greens from the farm as well).   It was pretty yummy, if I do say so myself.