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Use What You
Have Frittata
BY BRIAN MEDFORD
My friend Aimie is the mother of four
children that refer to me as “UB” (Uncle
Brian). Until I moved to the North Coast,
weekly Sunday dinners were the norm for
us. I’ve watched their family grow from
one kid to four.
They are adventurous eaters, begging
for peas, asparagus, oysters and dried sea-
weed. Their collection of pets has grown
as well and includes dogs, chickens, geese,
ducks, horses, gerbils, hamsters and rats.
Recently, the second eldest raised a scurry
of squirrels (Who knew they were called a
scurry?).
Despite soccer practice, animal feed-
ings, rock climbing, violin concerts, urgent
care visits and random uncles showing up
on Sundays, Aimie manages home cooked
dinners. It’s one-part magic trick, one-part
sheer determination. I’ve never seen her
use a recipe, except for Thanksgiving gravy
— but that’s only once a year so it doesn’t
count.
Her two food rules are making a dinner
mostly of vegetables and not overcooking
salmon. To be honest, their salmon dinners
sometimes veers into sashimi territory but
they love it so I eat it.
Some folks wonder if home cooking is
always a protein, two sides, a carb and des-
sert. I say no. Is a dinner less glorious when
it’s not that combination? Not at all. Sure,
Aimie has served unorthodox Sunday din-
ner combinations — my all-time favorite
being baked ham with tortellini night —
but it’s still comforting, soothing and bol-
stering. Some dinners are smoother than
others, some are supported by Hello Fresh,
some are ham with a side of tortellini.
That’s OK.
Home cookery is cooking at home with
the people you care about. It is less about
what’s on the plate — but that there is a
plate, intention, a plan to feed your fam-
ily and to sit down together and catch up on
the day. Dinner at Aimie’s may look eccen-
tric to some folks but it looks like love to
me.
My go-to home-cooked dinner when I’m
busy and stretched thin (minus four chil-
dren and two dozen or so pets) is a frittata.
It’s an opportunity to use what I have and
clear out the fridge. I think of a frittata as
10 // COASTWEEKEND.COM
Brian Medford
A finished frittata.
grown-up scrambled eggs — which by the
way, are my kitchen nemesis. I’m working
on it though.
Use What You Have Frittata (yields
four to six servings)
This is more of a series of suggestions
than a formal recipe. Do what sparks joy.
If you’d like, pair your frittata with a green
salad. I think hot sauce on the side should
be required. I like Crystal Hot Sauce.
Ingredients
• 8 ounces protein (bacon, sausage, ham or
mushrooms with 1 tablespoon unsalted
butter)
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter or extra vir-
gin olive oil
• 8 ounces vegetables (bell peppers, kale,
leeks and/or spinach), thinly sliced
• Eight large eggs, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 ounces full-fat dairy (ricotta, heavy
cream, half-and-half or milk)
• 2 ounces shredded cheese (cheddar or
Parmesan)
• 2 tablespoons fresh herbs (thyme, parsley,
chives and/or basil)
• Hot sauce
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees
Fahrenheit.
Cook the protein or mushrooms in a
10-inch cast iron skillet over medium-high
heat, then remove from the pan and drain.
If you are using bacon, ham or mushrooms,
cut into smaller pieces before cooking.
Add the butter, a ½ teaspoon of kosher
salt and the sliced vegetables to the cast
iron skillet. Cook until the vegetables are
soft over medium-high heat.
While the vegetables are cooking, crack
the eggs into a large bowl. Add the remain-
ing salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
Whisk well. Add the dairy and the shredded
cheese. Whisk until combined.
Turn the heat down to medium. Pour the
egg mixture onto the cooked vegetables
and then scatter the cooked protein on top.
Gently stir the egg mixture to be sure the
mix-ins are well distributed. Cook on the
stovetop until most of the egg has cooked.
Sprinkle the fresh herbs on top and trans-
fer to the oven to finish cooking. The top of
the frittata should be slightly brown and the
eggs will puff. If the eggs still jiggle, the
frittata is not done.
Let the frittata sit in the pan for a few
minutes. Then, run a spatula around the
edge and as far under the center as possible.
Carefully slide the frittata onto a cutting
board. If it cracks or rips, it’s OK. Just cob-
ble it back together. Serving directly from
the pan works too. Cut into wedges and
serve warm with your favorite hot sauce.
Brian Medford is the owner of Idlewild
Biscuits and Bakes in Astoria. He teaches
cooking classes at The Pantry in Seattle.
Contact him at blmedford@gmail.com.