Blueberry & Fennel Frittata

Hello!

Logging in to my little blog again after almost a month hiatus is so exciting! Wee! I'm still sort of in between kitchens. As I sit here in Philadelphia, PA, everything I own is in Washington, DC gathering dust. I'm here until Monday, but then I'm a representative-lacking-Washingtonian for good. This has literally been the l o n g e s t move in the history of the world.

I did do a little dabbling in my new kitchen last weekend on Saturday morning. It was a day which I was going to also dedicate to baked goods, but that was cut short by a power outage in the afternoon. Literally walked in the door with an armful of groceries, excited to finally mix butter with flour again, and.. pop! and everything shuts down. 

Fortunately, it came back the same evening and merely deterred my culinary endeavors. My ice cream didn't even melt. YES! And I guess the grilled cheese party I was baking for wasn't REALLY lacking in the fat department anyway. I'm still sweating butter. (PS if you ever find yourself in need of a new party idea.. grilled cheese is the way to go.)

I should also let you know that I owe the inspiration for this frittata came from my poor eyesight. I was driving down 95, heading to work last Thursday, when I noticed a WaWa billboard with an egg wrap. At first glance (and ok,  and the next 2-3 seconds as well) it looked like egg and blueberry. Which.. was interesting to me. Obviously it was sausage, but it got me thinking. So thanks, WaWa, for making your sausages look conspicuously like blueberries.

 I made this with swiss for myself and mozz for Adam. Swiss won in my book, but mozz is an acceptable substitute if your pallet is a little funny and you don't like the swiss.

Blueberry & Fennel Frittata
Serves 2

1/4 c coarsely chopped fennel bulb
2 heaping tbsp blueberries
4 eggs, beaten
salt & pepper
2 oz swiss cheese (or mozzarella), shredded

Grease a small cast iron pan (or a non-stick fry pan) and heat over low heat. Season eggs with salt and pepper. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Add fennel and saute for 3-4 minutes until it begins to soften and becomes slightly translucent. Pour in eggs and drop blueberries gently around the pan evenly. Cook eggs over low heat for 5-7 minutes, or until eggs begin to firm up in the center.

Sprinkle cheese evenly over the top. If using cast iron, place pan in the oven and bake for 3-4 minutes, or until cheese is completely melted and just begins to brown. (If using non-stick, continue to cook over low heat on the stovetop until cheese melts).

Cut into 2 pieces and serve with toast for breakfast or salad for lunch (or dinner of course!).

Peach, Fennel & Mint Quinoa Salad

Grain salads are totally all the rage right now. And not just in my head. They're everywhere else too. They're a fabulous and healthy alternative to pasta or potato or macaroni salad. Or even a more filling alternative to a green salad. When you use a grain like quinoa, brown rice or barley as a base to your salad dish, you easily add vitamins, fiber and protein. Then, you can pack in veggies and fruit and skip the mayo.

And, the beautiful thing about summer is that produce is so fresh.... and so good. I can get excited about tomatoes. And green beans. And squash. Because it's sooo good! And it's even better when you don't cook it. Which is nice... because who wants to cook too much in the summer? Don't you love it when nature has your back? The only thing better would be if mint chocolate chip ice cream grew on trees.


Soundtrack: This


Peach, Fennel & Mint Quinoa Salad
Serves 6 as a side, 4 as a main course


1 c quinoa
1/2 c scallions, chopped
1 large peach, pitted and chopped (don't peel)
1 c green beans, trimmed, cleaned and cut into >1/2 in pieces
2 tbsp chopped mint
1 fennel bulb, chopped
1 tbsp EVOO (I used jalapeno infused, but this totally isn't necessary)
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Salt & pepper


Cook quinoa according to package directions.


While the quinoa cooks, combine scallions, peaches, green beans, mint, and fennel in a large bowl. Set aside.


In a small bowl, whisk together oil and vinegar. Season with pepper and about 1/8 tsp salt. Pour over the fresh ingredients in the large bowl. Toss to combine.


Add quinoa while still slightly warm and toss to combine. Serve while warm or cooled.