By Week 365. Spring 2023. I am 40 years old and standing in my kitchen — the Bench house kitchen, the one that held cancer and divorce and cinnamon rolls — and the stove is on and something is cooking and the house smells like fresh herbs and possibility and this is my life. This is the life I built.
Tom made his trout on Friday, the way he does every Friday, and the fish was perfect, and the kitchen smelled like lemon and capers, and I sat at the table and ate fish that my partner caught and cooked and served, and the being-served is still a wonder after all these years.
Mason is 12 and reading everything he can find and examining the world under a microscope with the intensity of a tenured researcher.
Lily is 10 and riding horses with the fearlessness of someone who has never considered the possibility of falling.
I made spinach and feta frittata this week. The food continues. The food always continues. It is the thread that connects every week to every other week, every year to every other year, every version of me to every other version — the woman on the kitchen floor, the woman at the chemo recliner, the woman at the grill, the woman at the outdoor table under the string lights. All of them, connected by the food they made with their hands. All of them, me.
The spinach and feta frittata I made this week didn’t need much — it never does — but I always find myself thinking about what to put alongside it, because the whole meal matters, not just the centerpiece. After a week spent feeling the ordinary miracle of a kitchen that smells like herbs and possibility, I wanted sides that matched that energy: simple, honest, and just a little bit bright. Here’s what I served with mine, and what I’d recommend pairing with any quiche or egg-based dish you bring to your own table.
What To Serve with Quiche
Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 0–15 minutes | Total Time: 25 minutes | Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 5 oz mixed greens or arugula
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 English cucumber, thinly sliced
- 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 baguette or crusty loaf, sliced
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup fresh fruit (berries, sliced melon, or grapes) for serving
Instructions
- Make the vinaigrette. In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the olive oil, white wine vinegar, and Dijon mustard until emulsified. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
- Assemble the salad. Combine the mixed greens, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, and red onion in a large bowl. Toss with the vinaigrette just before serving so the greens stay crisp.
- Prepare the bread. Warm the sliced baguette in a 350°F oven for 5–8 minutes until the crust crisps slightly. Serve with softened butter alongside.
- Plate the fruit. Arrange fresh seasonal fruit on a small platter or in a bowl. Berries work beautifully in spring; melon or grapes are lovely in summer.
- Serve together. Plate the salad, bread, and fruit alongside your quiche or frittata. The brightness of the salad and sweetness of the fruit balance the richness of the egg dish perfectly.
Nutrition (per serving, sides only)
Calories: 210 | Protein: 4g | Fat: 10g | Carbs: 27g | Fiber: 3g | Sodium: 220mg