Green frittata – kale, asparagus, peas & soya beans
There was just one rule when knocking this green frittata together. All I needed was green stuff – whatever I could get my hands on the day before.
Ideally I wanted baby asparagus to grace the top, but they vanished from the grocers and markets in record time before being replaced with bigger ones. Damn, so much for dainty spears forming a pretty pattern on my frittata.
My idea of fresh peas was a no-go, as well. Not in season yet – so frozen it was, along with some soya beans I also had doing freezer time.
Lots of kale and parsley also go into the frittata, plus as many leaves my dandelion plants were willing to give without me tipping them towards certain death.
There is some savoy cabbage that joins the ride, but I’ve used it purely for aesthetics – to edge the frittata. I guess the best part is when the bits that poke out turn in to cabbage chips. A bit of crunch, ya know?
Without the pesto I threw in, the frittata tip-toes on the edge of bland territory – even with seasoning. It screams for a dominant flavour – hence my choice with basil. Other options could be fresh sage, rosemary – anything with a strong perfume.
I had to stay strong by not tossing in some chilli-crusted pancetta, good old bacon or loads of parmesan. Sure-fire winners – and flavour contributors – in a frittata, methinks.
The problem is they’re not green.
Rules, remember?
*Black Casserole supplied by Chasseur
| Servings |
servings
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- 3 savoy cabbage leaves optional
- 100 g kale leaves thick stems removed
- 4 dandelion leaves chopped - optional
- 180 g peas (I added soya beans in as well)
- ½ cup parsley leaves
- 8 eggs
- 3 tbsp basil pesto recipe link in notes
- 300 ml cream
- ½ tsp each Salt & black pepper
- 18 spears aspargus
Ingredients
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- Preheat the oven to 170°C.
- Grease a 24cm dish with plenty of butter or oil. If using cabbage leaves, cut away the inner part of the leaf, as you only need to use the outer 2 inches. Lay them around the rim of the baking dish.
- Put the kale leaves into a heatproof bowl. Bring some water to the boil and pour it over the kale to blanch, allowing it to sit for 1 minute before rinsing well under cold water. Squeeze all the water out then chop finely, tossing it into a mixing bowl.
- Mix the peas and chopped parsley with the kale, then put this into the prepared baking dish.
- Whisk the eggs, basil, cream and seasoning until incorporated, then pour this over the greens in the baking dish.
- Lay the asparagus on top, pressing down slightly. Bake in the oven for 1 hour, or until cooked in the middle.
- Serve warm or at room temperature with a leafy salad, some beautiful tomatoes and a little pesto to drizzle over the frittata.
Rather than bin the thick stems from the kale, keep them for a soup!
