Wednesday, July 15, 2009

On throwing things together and calling it good.

When it comes to my farm share, sometimes I fill the week with thoughtfully considered meals that efficiently use the week's produce. More often than not, I look in the refrigerator the day before the pickup and realize I have a sack of vegetables I haven't even thought about using.

This week was about to be like that. Then I happened on the latest "Minimalist" column from Mark Bittman. The frittata -- like the quiche, the stratta, and the stir fry -- is one of those staple dishes in which you can throw a bunch of vegetables, use scattered leftovers and remnants, and generally clean out the crisper drawer.

So into a pan went last week's broccoli, scallions, frisee, a leftover roasted red pepper, and some fresh tarragon from the pot on my front porch, along with a couple of eggs and some grated Parmesan cheese. It turned out more like a scramble than a frittata (next time I think I'll use one or two additional eggs), but it was still delicious. What's more, I had a nice empty place in the fridge to put this week's share.