Fresh Tart

Fresh mozzarella with tomatoes is everywhere, even in the dead of a Minnesota winter, when it shouldn't be. We've all seen slabs of rubbery cheese layered with slabs of grainy-pale tomato objects and wondered what on earth happened to this pretty salad.

Certainly in the summer, when tomatoes are ripe, the two can be lovely together, but I'm a bit of a fresh mozzarella purist. Addict even. Really good, fresh mozzarella has such a soft, milky taste, a little bit sweet, a little bit salty, at once both silky and toothsome (not rubbery!), that it hurts me a little to smother it with the acidic juiciness of tomatoes, even good ones.

Caprese blasphemy? Perhaps, but try it this way, simply warmed atop eggs and fresh basil, and you might agree.

Recipe for Fresh Mozzarella & Basil Frittata at TC Taste/Minnesota Monthly Magazine.

Sunday morning, a cup of hot coffee, a sunny forecast for plus 50 degrees, a few leftovers to mess around with - life is good. I can't wait to scoot out the door for a long afternoon's walk.  Granted, there is still plenty of snow stubbornly sticking around.  But not enough for complete ground coverage, which means bits of spring are peeking through.  (Some people call it brown grass, I call it spring, la la la!)

I had decided last night that the bread-salad croutons and wild mushroom sauce from Friday's dinner party would make for pretty awesome Sunday eggs of some sort.  Fried, scrambled, souffle?  I settled on a frittata as the best (easiest) vehicle, so frittata it was.  I started by preheating the broiler and drizzling a little olive oil in a small nonstick saute pan.  Over medium heat I quickly sauteed a minced scallion and a handful of spinach leaves until wilted (sprinkle of salt, grind of pepper).  I pushed that off to the side and added the croutons (diced quite small first) to heat and crisp them up a bit.  Then an egg, lightly beaten.  I let the bottom set (takes only a minute or two when cooking just one egg) then ran the pan under the broiler to set the top.  A spoonful of warm mushrooms to finish and oh yes, a Sunday brunch was born.

What have you got in your fridge to make a frittata?  Bet you'd be surprised - almost any vegetable, a few gratings of cheese, diced ham or crumbled bacon, a few slices of potato...  The options are pretty endless.  And inexpensive (this is seriously cheap eats).  And perfect for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.  And clearly easy and fast.  Get creative, stir something up, and enjoy!

Hey man (my favorite Cooper greeting). Craziness out there these days, I won't pretend I'm not glued to the web (radio, TV) like everyone else. It's a wild ride, and more than a bit unsettling - perfect times for making a little dinner (waaaay cheaper than eating out, for one, and healthier and more comforting to boot). As I've mentioned, I've been in entertaining overdrive, what with Tuesday's party and another (big one) this coming Saturday. But since Thursday is CSA veggie share day, and I've been running on empty for the last several days, I decided ahead of time an uber-nutritious, vegeful dinner would hit the spot.

I didn't pick up my veggies until 4:30 or so, but since it was just John & me for din, I knew I could improvise. I opened up the box and found - a pint of cherry tomatoes. Yay! I just happened to have a spot of crusty bread as well (leftover from Tuesday night), and Parm in the fridge, so garlicky cherry tomato & bread gratin they became. Oooh, that dish is sick it's so good - and it's crazy-easy as well. It's all about good tomatoes, so make it when you can source the real deal (garden, farmer's market, CSA share - whatever works).

While I could eat just tomato gratin for din, I knew John would be left wanting, so I also roasted the broccoli, included as well in my box of veggie treasures, and made - don't die of shock - another frittata, this time with veggie-share spinach and leeks. Easy. Nutritious. Cheap. Delicious. All good.

(Unlike last night, when I made french onion soup for dinner. Oh it tasted yummy - to John and me. The kids? They didn't hate it, but one ate only the broth and bread - no cheese, no onions - the other ate only the cheese. If we had a third who ate only onions, they could all have shared a bowl. Right.)

To come full circle, here's a cheer-up pic of the lovely, creamy bouquet of roses I bought at Whole Foods on Monday. So pretty, roses, even the virtual kind. G'night!

Moderate it: it's nice to have a meatless dinner a couple of times a week. Cheap too. Give 'er a go, I'll bet you won't miss it one bit.

Had to snap a pic today of one of my favorite appetizers. Crusty bread, topped with a smear of hand-dipped ricotta cheese from Whole Foods (the stuff should be illegal, it's that good) and roasted tomatoes (which I didn't make myself, although they're easy enough; these I also picked up at Whole Foods, in the produce section, and they are particularly delicious, roasted in olive oil with garlic and herbs). I might have had some for breakfast this morning. Maybe. (Or, try this gorgeous recipe from our friends Kris & Harry, they of the beautifully Foodie dinner a few weeks back - tomatoes roasted with a bit of honey, atop scrumptious home-made ricotta cheese, finished with a drizzle of honey-balsamic. Beyond good. Recipe posted in comments, below.)

I don't usually have all these goodies on hand, but had purchased a round of tasties in prep for tonight's Susie Silpada Sales party, here at the hacienda. Girls, girls, girls, with snacks and wine and jewelry to boot. I put together a big platter of said tomatoes, as well as roasted peppers, carrots, and onions; salami; cornichon pickles; black olives; and rouille. Also set out a frittata cut into small squares, as well as chips and guacamole. With Kim as my Bar Beyotch (she is the fiercest bartender I've ever seen), Kathie and her sis Lisa doing party prep, and Suz jeweling her thing, we were all good. Even in pouring sheets of rain! Thanks ladies, for turning out and making it a great night!

Moderate it: a frittata is a terrific light, simple dinner, filling and tasty to boot. Without the crust and cream of quiche, but definitely with the perks of delicious fillings, nothing makes a better short-on-time dinner. And, good party food as well.