Weekly Dish

As regular readers of this site will know, I am not a person who counts carbs. I have been known to count calories if I want to lose weight, but I simply can’t give up bread or pasta. I tried Atkins for about a week when it first became popular, but I was miserable. I thought I would never want to see another scrambled egg or piece of bacon again.

But I have had friends who were careful about their carbohydrate intake. Our friends in Jackson, Laura and Randy, were on the South Beach diet for a while, and we dined with them often. Through learning to cook low-carb for them, I also learned that it’s important to have a variety of meals in my culinary arsenal. This frittata is both low-carb and gluten free, so if ever I have friends coming for dinner who fall into either of those categories, I at least have one option.

And, if they’re coming for Sunday brunch? Even better. This frittata is quintessential brunch food: it’s fast, easy, goes well with both coffee and juice, and the possibilities are endless. Put another way, you could throw in the kitchen sink, and a frittata would take it.

Well, okay, maybe not. But it soaked up my almost-expired goat cheese and quickly ripening green tomatoes with gusto. I used rosemary to add an herbal kick, but basil would provide a better, milder flavor; the rosemary was a little overpowering for my taste. Red tomatoes might work fine too, but the green ones are not as juicy, so there’s less chance that the frittata will be runny. Although tomato season is still a few months away, a farmer at our market grows them in a greenhouse. The flavor is definitely not the same as a tart green tomato at the height of summer; to minimize the difference, I salted the tomatoes and let them sit for a bit before tossing them in to the skillet. The salt also seems to absorb some of the tomatoes moisture, again reducing the possibility for a runny frittata.

Going low-carb? Cooking gluten-free? Just want a light, bright dish for brunch or lunch? Frittatas are the way to go. Here’s how I made this one, but the method is an open palate. If you try the kitchen sink, please, by all means, let me know how it turns out.

Green Tomato, Garlic, and Goat Cheese Frittata

1 large or 2 medium green tomatoes
Olive oil and butter
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 ounces goat cheese, or more to taste
Chopped rosemary (I used too much, but if you like the flavor, use it sparingly.)
6 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper

Preheat the broiler. Slice 4 thin slices from the tomato; salt, and set aside. Chop the remaining tomato, and salt it too. Heat about a tablespoon of olive oil in a broiler-proof skillet with a small pat of butter over medium heat. Add the garlic slices and saute until fragrant, about a minute or two. Add the chopped tomatoes, stirring to coat them with the garlic and oil. Cook until the tomatoes are very soft; salt and pepper. Meanwhile, beat the eggs and milk together; season them with salt and pepper too. Pour evenly over the tomatoes. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and crumble the goat cheese on top of the eggs. Cook the eggs slowly, but without stirring. When the top is just beginning to set, lay the tomato slices on top, and sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese. Place the whole skillet under the broiler to finish. Broil for a minute or two, or until the top is golden brown. Slice into wedges to serve. Serves 4-6.

This recipe is my contribution to Sweetnicks’ weekly event, Antioxidant Rich Tuesdays.

Posted: Tuesday, January 31st, 2006 at 7:40 pm Filed under: Main Dish, Breakfast/Brunch, Food Blogging Events, Vegetables. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.