July is the month when a Vermont garden begins to show its colors. And right now, that color is green: green kale, green spinach, green chard, and the list of leaves goes on. Even if you're making a salad for both lunch and dinner, it seems as if there are always stalks to harvest or lettuce wilting in the refrigerator.
Luckily for us, Chef Jim McCarthy is sharing a quick and painless recipe to utilize those hearty greens at the breakfast table — a Kale and Scallion Frittata. A frittata is a perfect food for one or for a group: it’s like the more easy-going cousin of an omelet. While omelets require a careful fold and just the right amount of filling, frittatas ask for much less finesse: mix all the sauteéd vegetables in the pan, add the eggs and cheese, and finish it off under the broiler. After it has cooled, slip it from the pan and slice it up like a breakfast pie. But don't limit this dish to a hot breakfast — frittatas good room temperature for picnicing, or even cold from the fridge as a midnight snack. So chop up handfuls of abundant kale (or spinach) to toss into the pan; it will wilt quickly and you can pack a lot more into your skillet than you think!
Summer Kale and Scallion Frittata
Ingredients (serves 2)
- 4 eggs
- 1 C shredded kale (more if you’re determined to clear out the crisper)
- 4 scallions
- ½ C grated Shelburne Farms cheddar (we recommend our One Year)
- 1 T salt
- 2 T butter
- Chopped chives, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, and extra virgin olive oil for garnish
Directions
- Turn on broiler.
- Heat butter in an oven-safe sauté pan over medium-high heat.
- Toss in scallions, and sauté until slightly softened but still with a crisp bite.
- Crack and whisk eggs, pour in sauté pan, and turn down heat to medium.
- Sprinkle in shredded kale and cheese, mixing lightly until the eggs begin to firm.
- Broil for 5 minutes, or until the eggs are firm throughout and the cheese has melted.
- To serve, slide the frittata onto a serving plate, garnish with chopped scallions, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, and a drizzle of olive oil.
If kale is still overwhelming your kitchen, try whipping up this pesto from the New School Cuisine, a first-of-its-kind cookbook for and by school chefs that we co-authored through our VT FEED partnership with NOFA-VT, and with the School Nutrition Association of Vermont. Or, if you still have strawberries after your latest picking spree, Chef Jim also shared his recipe for Strawberry Gazpacho here.