Tomato Basil Frittata

and farm stands

A farm on the outskirts of my town sells organic vegetables from a quaint stand by the side of the road. When I asked the farmer why they no longer promote themselves as being organic she told me that they can not afford the fees that New Jersey requires for them to be officially certified. It seems a shame, but I don’t really know much about it. I do know that I enjoy stopping by to see what has been picked that day and being greeted by the smell of the handmade soap that they sell when I get out of my car. Amish builders recently restored one of the barns on the property that had slowly been crumbling, and now looks sturdy and well-crafted.

Summer is the time for tomatoes and basil.  I have a couple pots of lush basil, but have relied so far on farm stands for my tomatoes. Back in late April, I placed a slice of tomato under a half inch of soil in a pot on my kitchen counter. From that slice of tomato I now have five hearty plants that have produced about two dozen, still green, tomatoes. A few days ago I stepped outside, first thing in the morning, to check for any signs of red and spotted a groundhog scampering from the garden into the woods. A quick online search revealed that groundhogs are frightened by their reflection and suggested tying CDs to the stakes, a good use for all those old CDs that I have not been able to recycle.

Tomatoes are native to the Americas and were first introduced in Europe by  the Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortes after he conquered the Aztecs in the 16th century. During this time rich Europeans ate from pewter plates that had a high lead content. Foods that are high in acid, such as tomatoes, cause the lead to leach into the food resulting in death from lead poisoning. (www. tomato-cages.com) Wood plates that were used by the poor did not cause this problem. I don’t know who discovered the lead-tomato connection, but thankfully it has been resolved.

 A frittata is an easy dish to serve for a brunch or a light supper and adapts well to variations as to the vegetables, cheeses, or herbs that you may have on hand. If you have any leftover frittata, it will store well in the refrigerator for a couple of days and even tastes good cold. A green salad and crusty bread are nice compliments.

Ingredients

8 large eggs

1/3 cup greek yogurt

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 t. salt

1/4 t. pepper

1/8 t. baking powder

1/8 t. baking soda

1 cup chopped tomatoes

2 scallions, chopped

1/2 cup loosely packed basil leaves, coarsely chopped

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a pie plate. I used an 8 inch pie plate. With one that is larger, the frittata will bake faster.

Sautee tomatoes and scallions for about 3 minutes, or until soft. Add basil as you are removing the pan from the heat. Whisk yogurt and eggs ‘til smooth. Fold in Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper. Sprinkle baking soda and baking powder on the surface of the egg mixture. Mix. Place vegetables in the pie plate and cover with the egg mixture

Bake for 25 minutes or until the eggs are set.

Serves four.

New readers should check out my summer “Bingo” game. I’ve pushed the deadline to September 10 as my way of extending summer.

Thanks for reading.

Vicki