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Potato and Dill Frittata

Summertime and the living is ... outside.

Our kids have been big into swim team this summer and so we have had lots of meals at the pool. I am always looking for something to take on the road and this frittata -- that I made for a tasting card for Black Ankle's last wine shipment -- fits the bill. The lighter, fresher flavors go along with the hotter summer weather. Frittatas are among those foods that are perfect for using up leftovers, though, so don't sweat it if you don't have all the ingredients. Just substitute whatever you have on hand.

If you are lucky enough to get your hands on a bottle, the frittata is delicious with either Black Ankle's Albarino or Passeggiata.

A toast: to summer!

2009: Smoky Deviled Eggs
2010: Red Wine Caramelized Onion and Goat Cheese Crostini
2011: Pea and Potato Gratins
2012: The Whole Beet Sauté

Potato and Dill Frittata

 

Serves 6
20 minutes preparation time
35-40 minutes cooking time

2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
1 tablespoon olive oil
9 eggs
1/2 cup dill, finely chopped
1/2 cup chives, finely chopped
3 ounces herbed cheese such as Boursin (approximately half a Boursin package)
salt
freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Put the cubed potatoes in a small saucepan and cover them with water. Bring to a boil and let simmer until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork but still hold their shape, 6-8 minutes, depending on the size of the potato cubes. Drain into a colander and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process.

In a large bowl, scramble the eggs and add the chives and dill. Add the potatoes, salt (at least a teaspoon) and pepper. Crumble in the Boursin and whisk again.

Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a 9-inch frying pan with a heatproof handle. When the oil begins to simmer, carefully swirl it around the pan to completely coat the bottom and sides. Whisk the egg mixture once or twice to unsettle the herbs and cheese and then immediately pour the mixture into the hot pan. Reduce the heat to medium-low.

Cook until the edges of the frittata are set, about 10 minutes. Keeping the pan level, transfer it to the oven. Cook until the frittata is cooked through and lightly browned on top, about 15 minutes.

Remove and keep a pot holder or oven mitt over the handle. Slide a rubber spatula under the frittata and slip it out of the pan onto a serving plate. Serve immediately or at room temperature. The frittata will keep for a couple of days in the refrigerator.

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Chloe's 9th Birthday

We spent the weekend celebrating Chloe's 9th birthday. She had carefully crafted her ideal day: swim meet, brunch in bed, Grownups 2, macaroni and cheese and berry shortcakes with the family, and sleeping in Mommy and Daddy's bed. We tried our best to stay up until 10:30, the actual time of her birth, but I'm not sure any of us made it.

Now she is 9 years old. Nine years of our funny, sweet, cuddly, beautiful, smart, determined little girl. How did I get so lucky?

Cherry Dark Chocolate Chip Granola Bars

Do not adjust your TV set. This really is a post from Hide the Cheese.

I have been AWOL from this blog for so long that those of you that get my posts by e-mail may have wondered if there was something wrong with your feed.

As with most of you, I got caught up in that crazy end of the school year thing with concerts, awards ceremonies, and celebrations. And there was also the overlap of spring and summer sports that had us running to at least one game or practice almost every evening.

Mostly, though, all of the spare time that I used to spend writing here has been eaten up by the time I have spent trying to get our county school system to reverse its decision to change the schedule at our middle school. Although a schedule change may not seem like a big deal, that change was part of a plan that turned the school around a few years ago, and it has huge implications on students' ability to succeed, particularly students who need extra help or whose only opportunity to take a music or art elective is at school.

I have gotten a glimpse into the workings of our local system with its administrative and political pressures and it is not always pretty. Trying to effect change -- even with a large group of committed parents and community activists -- has given me some insight into what David was up against when he faced Goliath.

I can go on and on about that, but the real focus here is food. Once again, I am in search for the perfect snack. We were at a swim meet a couple of weeks ago, and the kids had veggie burgers before they swam. I watched them chow down on those burgers and thought that there was no way I would have been able to exercise after washing one of those down. 

The next week, I wanted to give them something lighter, something that would give them a bit of energy and not weigh them down. I remembered this recipe that had popped up in an e-mail from Food52. I had never made granola bars before, but this seemed like the perfect opportunity to give them a try.

I adapted the recipe to suit my audience. One child doesn't like peanut butter, one doesn't like raisins. And they all love chocolate. So I went with dried cherries and dark chocolate as the primary flavors.

The kids all tried them at last Wednesday's swim meet. Oscar was the most enthusiastic, probably because anything with chocolate will win him over. Olivia revealed that she doesn't like pumpkin seeds, but she is still eating the granola bars. Chloe announced that she doesn't like them at all, although she didn't identify any particular ingredient that was objectionable.  Regardless of the critiques, all three kids dropped times in their swim races.

I will continue to play with the flavors to see if I can win all three kids over, but for now I am loving having these little treats in the refrigerator for a quick breakfast or snack. And they will be in the swim bag again tonight.

2009: Mint Limeade
2010: Grilled Peaches with Mint Whipped Cream
2011: Sour Cherry Clafouti (make this now because sour cherry season is short!)
2012: Rose-Laced Strawberry Ice Cream

Cherry Dark Chocolate Chip Granola Bars

Adapted from Gena Hamshaw's recipe on Food52
Makes 12-15 bars
15 minutes preparation time, plus 2 hours for chilling

If you want to experiment with different flavor combinations, you might want to make a smaller batch. I recommend making half a batch and using a 8-by-8 square pan for your practice runs.

2 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 cup toasted pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup dried cherries
1/2 cup chocolate chips
2/3 cup sunflower butter
1/2 cup honey
1/4 teaspoon salt

Line a 9-by-13 pan with plastic wrap.

In a large bowl, whisk together the oats, pumpkin seeds, dried cherries, and chocolate chips.

In a large measuring cup, mix together the sunflower butter, honey, and salt. Pour the sunflower butter mixture over the oat mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until the oats are thoroughly coated.

Empty the mixture into the baking pan and flatten it out with a spatula until it is even. Cover with another layer of plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least two hours. Just before serving, cut into individual bars. I liked cutting them into fairly small servings, 2 or 3 inches per side. Wrap individual granola bars in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator. They will keep for up to 2 weeks, if they last that long.

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