Food and Friendship

Santa Barbara

italian frittata brunch

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As we finalize our lists for The Big Feast coming up, we thought it would be a good idea to give a moment to what comes before it.  The morning of Thanksgiving never gets its due — it’s not like Christmas morning where a great breakfast can shine.  On Thanksgiving day, everyone thinks they’re not going to eat anything until it’s turkey time, but we all know that’s just not how it goes.  So here’s an idea for a great start to the day devoted to food and family, but also one that will stand on its own any day of the year.

Thank you to our friend Michele, an accomplished cook who brings her knowledge of Italian cuisine to every meal and who recently served this to us with a side of seasonal fruit for a beautiful brunch that was welcoming and delicious.

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italian frittata
 
Although frittatas and omelets are similar, a frittata is cooked in a pan on medium-high heat, finished in the oven, and can be served warm or at room temperature; an omelet is cooked in a pan on low heat and should be served hot. There is no cheese in this recipe, which, for many of us, is perfect. But feel free to add a handful of grated cheddar or mozzarella if you wish. This is a very flexible recipe. You can use mushrooms, asparagus, zucchini, really any vegetables you have on hand - or even some crumbled (cooked) bacon or sausage. For Michele's brunch, the veggies were already sauteed in the cast iron pan when we arrived; all that remained to do at the last minute was add the beaten eggs and voila!... or should we say "tutto posto!"
Ingredients
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 large sweet peppers, red or orange, seeded and chopped
  • 1 small onion or 2 scallions, chopped
  • 1 large red potato, chopped
  • 1½ tablespoons sundried tomatoes, chopped
  • 12 grape tomatoes, cut in half
  • 1 teaspoon capers
  • 6 large eggs, beaten
  • sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano (optional)
Instructions
  1. Heat olive oil in cast iron or oven proof pan over medium-high heat.
  2. Add sweet pepper, onion, potato, sundried tomatoes and saute for about 7 minutes until tender.
  3. Stir in the tomatoes, capers and combine with other vegetables.
  4. Pour the beaten eggs over the vegetables in the pan and cook for about 3 minutes, not stirring at all.
  5. (If using oregano, you can sprinkle it over the top now)
  6. Place the pan in the oven under the broiler for about 3 minutes.
  7. Serve warm out of the oven or at room temperature.