Cheesy Vegetable Frittata

The summer solstice passed this week — the longest day, the turning point — and I marked it by walking the property at dusk, something I haven't done in a few years. The light was extraordinary, that long Vermont summer evening light that goes on and on and makes everything look slightly more important than usual. I walked the fence line, looked in on the sugar maple grove, checked the garden, stood at the edge of the pond for a while watching the swallows work the surface.

I've been making compound butters this week — something I've never done before but came across in a cookbook I found on the shelf, one of Helen's that I'd never opened. The herb butter with chives and lemon I've been putting on everything. The maple-walnut butter on toast in the morning. There's something satisfying about a condiment you made yourself, something about the labor-to-payoff ratio that feels honest.

Teddy's cooking lesson this week was eggs Benedict. Ambitious for a twelve-year-old, but that was his request. The hollandaise gave him trouble — it broke twice before I talked him through fixing it, which involved vigorous whisking and some anxious moments — but the final product worked. He sent a photo to the family group text. Sarah replied with three exclamation points.

The pandemic numbers are going in the wrong direction in some parts of the country. Vermont is holding relatively steady but the news from the South and West is bad. I keep thinking about what the fall will look like, whether the schools will open, whether Sarah and Jim will let the boys travel. I don't let myself think too far past that. Just: what's in the garden today, what needs to be cooked, what's for dinner. That's enough for right now.

After walking Teddy through two broken hollandaises and watching him finally nail that eggs Benedict, eggs stayed on my mind all week — their temperament, their generosity, the way they reward patience. The frittata felt like the natural follow-through: all the satisfaction of a serious egg dish, none of the whisking anxiety. It also gave me somewhere to put what the garden was offering, which right now is more than I can keep up with on my own.

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 20 minutes | Total Time: 30 minutes | Servings: 4

Ingredients

6 large eggs
1/4 cup whole milk
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small zucchini, diced (about 1 cup)
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup baby spinach, roughly chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
3/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
2 tablespoons fresh chives, sliced (for garnish)

Instructions

Preheat the broiler. Set your oven rack about 6 inches from the heating element and preheat the broiler to high.
Whisk the eggs. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, salt, and pepper until smooth and slightly frothy. Stir in 1/2 cup of the cheddar. Set aside.
Sauté the vegetables. Heat the olive oil in a 10-inch oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Add the red onion and cook for 2 minutes until softened. Add the zucchini and garlic and cook another 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the zucchini begins to turn golden at the edges. Add the cherry tomatoes and spinach and stir just until the spinach wilts, about 1 minute.
Add the egg mixture. Reduce heat to medium-low. Pour the egg and cheese mixture evenly over the vegetables. Do not stir. Let the frittata cook undisturbed for 5 to 6 minutes, until the edges are set and the center is still slightly loose.
Finish under the broiler. Scatter the remaining 1/4 cup cheddar over the top of the frittata. Transfer the skillet to the oven and broil for 2 to 3 minutes, watching closely, until the top is puffed, golden, and set through.
Rest and serve. Remove from the oven and let the frittata rest in the pan for 2 minutes. Garnish with fresh chives, slice into wedges, and serve directly from the skillet.

Nutrition (per serving)

Cheesy Vegetable Frittata — When Hollandaise Is Behind You and Eggs Are Still on the Mind