Rustic: Ham & Asparagus Frittata

I rarely post about breakfast items.  Probably because I rarely fuss over breakfast.  Our breakfasts are just a merry-go-round of hearty usual suspects, bouncing between oatmeal porridge, spinach omelette, fried eggs with ham or bacon and toast, and occasionally a big helping of fruit and vegetable smoothie.  All I care about is the quality of the incoming ingredients, so I home mill and presoak the oats, get my eggs from a local farm, make sure there are no nitrates in the bacon or ham, and bake the bread for toast.

Once in a while I feel like being fancy and make Lazy Dumplings or Cheese Patties from home made farmer cheese, or bake specialty breakfast items, such as bagels or English muffins…  This morning  I felt like making a frittata.  If you never tried frittata (I doubt that), think of a quiche and take away the crust.  Perfect food for those watching the carb intake, frittata is delicate, fragrant and colorful.  Best of all, it’s very easy to put together, and no matter what you put in it, it always looks like it’s been professionally made.  It’s a true happy meal in the good food world.

30 minutes tops is what it takes to bake it, so preheat the oven while you prep your filling, and rest assured, there will be many happy comebacks.

Ham & Asparagus Frittata

Serves 4-6

• 2 tbsp butter
• 1/2 medium onion, diced
• 1/2 bell pepper of any color, diced
• 1 cup of diced ham
• 1 cup of chunked asparagus spears
• 5-6 eggs
• 1/2 cup of half and half, or an equivalent amount of milk and cream mixed together
• 1 cup of diced mozzarella cheese
• salt, freshly ground pepper
• 5-6 cherry tomatoes, halved (optional)
• fresh herbs
• 2-3 tbsp grated parmesan (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease a 8-inch round or square baking dish.
2. Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat
3. Add onion, bell pepper, asparagus and ham and saute for 5-6 minutes, until onions turn light golden and translucent.
4. Season vegetables with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Transfer sautéed vegetables into the baking dish.
6. Add diced mozzarella cheese to the vegetables and distribute evenly.
7. Whisk the eggs with cream and milk (or half-and-half) until well mixed.
8. Pour the egg+cream mix over the vegetables and ham.
9. Put tomato halves over, if using.
10. Bake for 25 minutes, or until eggs are just about set in the middle
11. Add fresh herbs (I used dill) and parmesan and bake 5 minutes more.