Le Top Chef Series: Arugula and Tomato Frittata

…In under 30 MINUTES!
(not including bake time)

Perfect for springtime brunches, great for baby showers and other midday events where you’re expecting many guests and want a beautiful table presentation. Conveniently make this in advance and serve at room temperature.

INGREDIENTS:
10 large eggs
1/4 cup cream
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 heaping cup cubed (1/2 inch cubes) day-old sweet batard or Italian bread, with most of the crust removed before chopping (see Note)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup small-diced onion
1 bunch arugula, thick stems removed and leaves roughly chopped
1 tablespoon butter
1 heaping cup cherry tomatoes, stemmed

INSTRUCTIONS: Preheat the oven to 350°.

Crack the eggs into a large bowl and whisk together with the cream, 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt and pepper to taste. Fold in the bread cubes and let soak while you chop and saute the vegetables.

Heat the olive oil in a 10-inch ovenproof nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and saute for 2-3 minutes, then stir in the arugula leaves a little at a time until wilted, then saute until any stems are mostly tender, 3 minutes. Season vegetables well with salt and pepper to taste.

While still on medium heat, add the butter and stir around until foamy, then add the egg mixture and spread out the bread cubes and vegetables evenly, then dot the top with the cherry tomatoes, pushing down any that aren’t mostly submerged in the egg mixture. Let the frittata brown on the bottom for 5 minutes. It should bubble lightly in only a few places.

Place in the oven and cook until almost completely set with just a little liquid on top, 20 minutes. Increase heat to broil and place on a rack a few inches under the broiler until browned and puffy, about 5 minutes.

Slide a thin spatula around the sides of the frittata and gently under the bottom, then slide out onto a large plate. Serve right away or at room temperature.

Serves 6

Note: If you don’t have stale bread, toast bread cubes in a 300° oven until slightly dry, about 10 minutes.

PER SERVING: 235 calories, 12 g protein, 9 g carbohydrate, 17 g fat (6 g saturated), 373 mg cholesterol, 158 mg sodium, 1 g fiber.

Recipe from the San Francisco Chronicle Food and Wine Newsletter

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Baby Model, Cousin, Cyclist…All-Round Good Guy

Alec (Yellow Turtle baby model!) in le•top, circa 1993, with his tricycle and...is he holding a bug?

J. at Yellow Turtle found a “vintage” photo of her son in le•top and sent it over for fun. I loved the old tricycle and the whole composition of this photo; the un-mowed grass, the dandelions, the lone tennis shoe and little Alec looking like the quintessential, all-American portrait of little boy having a great summer! Of course, I wanted to share with everyone on the blog, so I asked J. for a more recent photo of her son, Alec (now 18), and she sent over a few. I noted to her that there seemed to be a cycling theme, and she said her niece, Alec’s cousin, has MS, so Alec has been doing the Bike MS ride since he was 12! Alec and his dad do this ride every year. Last year Alec raised over $2000 – they both rode 75 miles each day, in the hills of Vermont! J. and her daughter are the cooler girls – they wait at the rest-stops with drinks and food. Great family support! We’re looking forward to photos from this year’s Bike MS in Vermont which will be held August 8-9, 2009…Go, Alec!

Alec, now, but still being a little boy at heart! Photo at left is from his Bike MS 2008 event

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