csa week 1

​This summer, my daughter and I are sharing a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) box from Dreyer Farms in Cranford, NJ. We chose a medium size box suitable for a family of 5. For week one the box contained asparagus, golden beets, romaine, shiitake, spinach, Antonio Farms goat cheese and eggs.
 
My daughter is in charge of splitting the offerings each week. I was to get the golden beets, some romaine, spinach, goat cheese, and some eggs. In the past, when she did the box alone, occasionally she would give me the unusual vegetables such as kohlrabi. It became a challenge to find recipes for these vegetables.  

​My daughter and granddaughters were visiting for a few days last week and she brought the shiitake mushrooms with her.  I used them for dinner in preparing Creamy Balsamic Mushroom Chicken Marsala. For the spinach, goat cheese and eggs, I thought a frittata would be perfect. Again, turning to NYT Cooking, I found a recipe by Martha Rose Schulman, Spinach and Red Pepper Frittata that I adapted to fit the ingredients I had on hand.
 
Besides the aforementioned spinach and red peppers, you’ll need extra virgin olive oil, fresh garlic, fresh marjoram leaves, salt, eggs, freshly ground black pepper, milk, goat cheese and pancetta.
 
I have made frittatas in the past, but I did learn a trick from one the cooking notes left by others. It was suggested to have the eggs are at room temperature as it prevents sticking. I didn’t steam my fresh spinach, but sautéed it along with the diced peppers. I used a cast iron frying pan as I like to brown the top a bit under the broiler and the frittatas don’t stick in the pan. I substituted fresh oregano from my herb garden for the fresh marjoram.
 
Let me briefly described how I prepared my frittata. I sautéed the pancetta until slightly golden then added diced peppers until softened. Next, I add the minced garlic, chopped fresh spinach, seasoned with salt and pepper and covered the pan to allow the spinach to wilt. I stirred it several times to make sure everything was cooking evenly. Once the mixture was done, I removed it to a bowl.
 
In a separate bowl I whisked the eggs, chopped oregano and seasoned with salt and pepper. I reheated the frying pan and added a little more olive oil that was swirled around the pan. Once the oil was shimmering, I added the egg mixture and dollops of goat cheese. Make sure to tilt the pan to get an even layer of eggs and filling. I used a spatula to lift the edges of the frittata and tilted the pan to let the egg mixture go underneath. I go around the edge of the pan to keep the sides loose. Cover the pan for several minutes to set eggs. Remove from heat, run your spatula around the edge of the pan and gently lift the frittata to keep it from sticking to the bottom. As an option, preheat your broiler to high and gently brown the top to your liking.
 
After browning the top slightly, remove from oven. Run the spatula round the edge of the pan and gently lift the frittata to make sure it’s not sticking to the pan. I invert my frittata onto a platter for serving. Alternately, you can slide the frittata out of the pan onto a platter or cutting board.
 
Oh my gosh, what a scrumptious frittata. I love the Antonio Farms goat cheese; it was so creamy! The pancetta gave a hint of chew to the dish. The oregano was perfect, not too bold and added a nice subtle flavor. 

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​Spinach, Red Pepper and Goat Cheese Frittata
By Donna Walsifer
Adapted from Spinach and Red Pepper Frittata by Martha Rose Shulman
New York Times Cooking
From A Better Way to Serve Eggs
 
Yield: 6 Servings
Time: 1 hour
 
INGREDIENTS
 
1 6-ounce bag baby spinach, or 1 bunch spinach, washed and stemmed (alternately you can use one bag of chopped frozen spinach)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 red bell peppers, seeded and cut in small dice
1 to 2 garlic cloves (to taste), minced
10 fresh oregano leaves, chopped
Salt
8 eggs
4 ounces goat cheese
2 ounces diced pancetta
Freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons low-fat milk
 

1. If using fresh spinach, chop fine and set aside.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium heat in a heavy 10-inch nonstick skillet. Add pancetta and sauté until slightly brown. Add the bell peppers; stir frequently. After 4 minutes add the chopped garlic and salt to taste, stir for a minute. Add the chopped spinach and cover. After several minutes, remove cover and turn.  Remove from heat when spinach has wilted and place in bowl to cool slightly.
3. Whisk eggs in a large bowl. Add approximately ½ teaspoon of salt, freshly ground pepper to taste, milk and the spinach/red pepper mixture and chopped oregano; mix thoroughly. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in skillet. Pour egg mixture in and tilt pan to get an even layer. Using a spatula, lift edge of frittata to let eggs get underneath. Continue to run spatula around edge and lift frittata until eggs are no longer liquid. Place dollops of goat cheese on top; cover until mixture is set. Remove from heat. (You can also leave the eggs a bit soft in the center and place under the broiler for 2-3 minutes to gently brown the top and finish cooking the frittata.)
4. Run spatula around edges and gently lift bottom of frittata to make sure it’s not sticking to pan. To serve, slide out of pan on to cutting board or platter. I invert my frittata onto a platter.

 
Special Notes:
I have made frittatas in the past, but I did learn a trick from one the cooking notes left on the New York Times Cooking webpage. It was suggested having the eggs are at room temperature as it prevents sticking. Also, I use a cast iron frying pan. 

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