Last summer Ralph and I were invited to join our new community in celebrating one of our neighbor’s birthdays. We were amazed at how many ‘neighbors’ we have! The small country hall was packed to over flowing. As we made our way through the crowd, introducing ourselves, we got the biggest kick out of people describing themselves as our neighbors. “Where do you live”, we would ask. The answers were all in how many farms away they were which translates into anywhere from five to twenty-five kilometers from our home.
I buy my eggs from my neighbor, Mr. Slipp. He lives seven kilometers from me! His family has farmed here for seven generations. Knowing the farmer that collects your eggs is a great feeling. There are times when I go to buy and he tells me ‘the girls were a little light today’…that means no eggs. “Should I come back tomorrow”? He says, “We’ll know tomorrow” His hens have no stress in their lives allowing them to produce wonderful eggs!
We had Chef Axel Begner and his family for Father’s Day brunch this year. His 89-year-old mother has, once again, traveled from Germany to visit. It was lovely to see her again and to have a chance to relax with Marget and Axel.
I prepared my oatmeal blueberry muffins , asparagus vinaigrette to which I added some chopped fresh sorrel, brie en croute, vegetable frittata, sausage, bacon,
chocolate cupcakes , apple tart and mimosas.
Every Italian housewife has her own family recipe for frittata. Often times, it is a way to use up leftover bits of this and that. I used fresh chives, bell pepper, white mushrooms and a young pecorino. Feel free to use whatever combination of vegetables, cheeses and meats that you can come up with, just be sure to pre-cook your veggies and meats!
Vegetable and Pecorino Frittata
serves 6
preheat oven 375*F
4 white mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup chives, snipped
8 eggs
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 cup pecorino, freshly grated
In a large skillet, saute vegetables in 3 tablespoons of butter for 3 minutes…set aside
Whisk eggs with cream, salt and pepper
Stir in cheese, chives and veggies
Pour into a shallow gratin dish and place in oven
Bake until puffed, browned at the edge and set in the middle…about 25 minutes
Thanks for reading
