What does one do when overloaded with a variety of spring vegetables?
Make frittata, of course. Because what better way is there to use up a hefty portion of vegetables than creating a meal that could be (should be) eaten for breakfast, lunch, or dinner?
I took the majority of last week’s CSA box and loaded it into this dish, using up the asparagus, spring garlic, salad greens, chives, and chive flowers.
The chive flowers, which are my latest ingredient obsession, were used to infuse a white wine vinegar that sat around for a week before I whisked it with oil and topped it on salad greens. The result? A subtle floral flavor that compliments the rest of the meal perfectly.
When making the frittata, timing is key. You want the eggs to be custardy rather than rubbery, meaning you have to be careful of overcooking. For best results, have everything prepped before you get cooking.
Once your spring garlic is soft, add in your eggs and chives.
I’ve tried frittata recipes that are completely made on the stovetop, but found that starting them on top and then throwing them in the oven yields even better results. So let the edges set just slightly, then quickly add your asparagus and cheese, and get this thing in the oven.
Other tips? Don’t skimp on the fat: use full fat milk and cheese.
Once you pull the pan out of the oven, it helps to immediately transfer it to a cutting board or large plate since the cast iron will continue to cook the eggs otherwise. Once you’re done with that, just add a wedge of the frittata on top of your salad and enjoy.
And note, use this frittata recipe as a template, because you can really throw in whatever vegetables you want. Make it your own and eat it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The way it’s intended to be.
- 5-6 chive flowers, stems removed
- 2 garlic cloves, smashed
- ~1/2 cup white wine or champagne vinegar
- 12-14 spears thin asparagus spears, trimmed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 spring garlic stalks, chopped
- 12 eggs
- ½ cup whole milk
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 3 tablespoons chives, chopped
- 3½ ounces goat cheese
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 teaspoons chive flower infused vinegar
- 6 ounces salad greens
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- In an 8 ounce canning jar, combine chive flowers and garlic cloves. Fill jar with vinegar, leaving about 1 inch space at the top. Use a spoon to press chive flowers against side of jar, breaking them up just a little. Cover top with parchment paper and then close with lid. Let sit in a cool, dry place for at least 1 week.
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Bring a pot of heavily salted water to boil. Add asparagus and boil for 3 minutes. Transfer asparagus to a bowl and cover with ice water. Let cool completely.
- In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, salt and pepper. Set aside.
- In a 10 inch cast iron skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add spring garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add egg mixture and chives and stir to distribute greens evenly. Cook for 5 minutes over medium heat, until edges start to set. Remove from heat and arrange asparagus spears, all pointing towards center, in the eggs and dollop goat cheese around entire pan. Transfer pan to oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, until center is just set. Make sure to watch as you don't want the eggs to overcook!
- While frittata is baking, prepare the salad. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil and infused vinegar. Pour over greens and add salt and pepper to taste.
- Sprinkle frittata with chive flower, if you have any more, and serve frittata over salad.
