Recipe from the Children’s Garden

Farmy Frittata

RECIPE BY BECCA MILLER

Winter at North Country School is a time when our gardens have been put to bed for the season. But we can still enjoy plenty of farm fare in our Edible Schoolyard classes, homenight dinners, and dining room meals. Our root cellars are packed with the many storage crops we harvested together in the warmer months, and our laying hens provide us with delicious eggs year-round.

Those eggs are a student favorite. This adaptable ingredient can be transformed into a wide variety of dishes from around the world, from sweet cakes and meringues to savory mayonnaise and egg drop soup. This simple and crowd-pleasing farmy frittata recipe takes advantage of this egg-cellent resource, along with the potatoes, onions, and garlic harvested in the fall; the dried and frozen herbs that fill the Teaching and Learning Kitchen shelves and freezer; and the delicious dairy that is available all winter from our wonderful local farms.

Enjoy this filling dish at breakfast before heading off for a winter hike with friends, or as a warming dinner at the end of a day of cold-weather adventures.

RECIPE Adapt this flexible frittata recipe by mix-and-matching with your favorite vegetables, herbs, and cheeses in the same approximate amounts as listed below. (You can make a half-batch of the recipe in a smaller skillet, but begin checking for doneness after 15 minutes in the oven.)

*Recipe makes 4 generous servings.

Ingredients: 12 eggs ¼ cup heavy cream (or half-and-half) ¾ cup shredded cheddar cheese or another meltable cheese 4 tablespoons butter 1 large potato (or 2 small potatoes), chopped in ¼-inch pieces 1 medium sized onion, chopped in ¼-inch pieces Salt and pepper

Optional: 2 cloves of garlic, minced ½ cup mushrooms, chopped A few teaspoons of dried, fresh, or frozen herbs including basil, chives, and parsley (chopped if fresh)

Instructions 1. Preheat the oven to 375° F, making sure there is plenty of space above the middle rack.

2. Melt the butter over medium-high heat in a large, oven-safe skillet (cast iron works best). Add chopped potatoes, onions, garlic, and mushrooms. Sprinkle with a bit of salt and stir to coat the vegetables in the melted butter. Continue to stir periodically until the potatoes begin to soften and the onions become translucent, about 10 minutes. Scrape the bottom of the skillet with a spatula every few minutes to make sure the potatoes don’t stick to the bottom.

3. Crack all the eggs into a large mixing bowl or pitcher. Add a bit of salt and pepper as well as the herbs, cream, and cheese and whisk until completely combined.

4. Lower the stove to medium-low and add the egg mixture. Scraping the bottom of the pan with the spatula as you go, gently mix everything together for a few minutes until the vegetables are evenly distributed.

5. Remove the skillet from the stove and carefully transfer it to the middle rack of the oven. Bake for 30–40 minutes, and begin checking after 30 minutes, inserting a toothpick or small knife in the center. The frittata is done when the eggs have set in the center but are still a bit wobbly and moist. If it is still very wet in the center, continue to check every 3 minutes until a knife or toothpick inserted in the very center of the frittata comes out clean.

6. Let the frittata sit for a few minutes before serving. Serve topped with a bit more fresh chopped parsley or chives and hot sauce on the side.