Little Update or The Return of The Little Eggplant
Well I hope you are not tired of the little eggplant. I was able to retrieve it-hooray! It not only survived the very hot temperatures, it only got watered when it rained, there wasn’t anyone taking care of it. Not only does it look better than it ever looked, big and green. It is flowering again! The flowers survived the car trip, so I guess they’re planning on hanging around. Looks like there’s going to be another chapter to this story. Hopefully including a recipe or two!
Home and Garden Update
Well since I last posted we have been busy looking for a house and are going through our second move in two months. So I am once again looking forward to a brand new garden. I uprooted some of my plants which are temporarily residing in pots, and I hope they survive being transplanted again. Most notably the jasmine that my husband bought for me when we first came to Florida. It took almost two years to fully recover from the original shock of planting, only to be dug up again.
We suffered an unusually bad winter for Florida (as did most of the US), that damaged many crops commercial and otherwise. After I harvested my last eggplant last fall, I didn’t bother to pull up the plant. After the winter was over it looked pretty beat up, but as soon as it began to warm up it got flowers again! See my previous post “The Little Eggplant That Could”. Well it started looking a little better, and I was interested to see how the story would turn out, but unfortunately, it got left behind in the move. I saw it about a week later and it was still there.
I really hope to have more stories, etc. for you as previously promised, once the move is over. Happy Gardening!
Frittata Anytime
I was never a fan of omelets or scrambled eggs; but once while I was visiting my sister in New England, she made potato frittata (an Italian omelet) for breakfast, and it was delicious. Recently I had a craving for some, and I developed my own recipe. This potato frittata has bacon (I use turkey bacon), green onions and cheddar cheese. I pre-cook seasoned potatoes so they are well done, and the rest comes together very quickly.
3 large russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch dice
3 strips chopped raw turkey bacon
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
6 eggs
2 scallions thinly sliced, green parts only
1 tbs. fresh garlic, finely minced
2 tbs. olive oil, divided
2 tbs. finely chopped fresh parsley
1/4 tsp. plus 1 pinch dried thyme
1/4 tsp. plus 1 pinch coarse sea salt
1/4 tsp. ground coriander
1/8 tsp. plus 1 pinch of freshly ground black pepper
1/8 tsp. chili powder
1. Place the potatoes in a microwaveable bowl. Drizzle with 1 tbs of the olive oil and sprinkle with: 1/4 tsp. thyme, 1/4 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. coriander, 1/8 tsp. chili powder, and 1/8 tsp. black pepper. Toss well to coat potatoes evenly with oil and seasonings. Microwave on high for 6 minutes or until potatoes are soft.
2. In a large (12 inch), oven safe skillet, heat the remaining olive oil over medium heat. Add the turkey bacon,* and stir frequently until it is cooked through. Turkey bacon does not crisp, and gets soft again in the frittata anyway.
3. Add the garlic, scallions and potatoes. If the pan is very dry, you can add another teaspoon of olive oil first. Cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes or until the potatoes are browned slightly.
4. Meanwhile lightly beat the eggs with the remaining seasonings, and preheat the broiler.
5. Reduce heat to medium low and slowly pour the eggs into and around the potatoes. Gently stir to evenly distribute the potatoes throughout the eggs.
6. Let cook just until the sides and bottom of the eggs are set. Eggs will still be raw in the center.
7. Remove from heat and sprinkle the parsley and the cheese over the top.
8. Place pan under the broiler about 4 inches away, or on the bottom rack of your broiler section. Cook until the eggs are done and the cheese is melted, approximately 10 -15 minutes. Watch carefully, once the cheese melts it will brown quickly.
I like to serve with sour cream mixed with just a little dijon mustard. (About 1 tsp of mustard to a 1/2 cup of sour cream).
There are countless ways to combine vegetables, cheeses, etc. in frittata. You can use what you have leftover. If your vegetables take a long time to cook, I recommend pre-cooking them. ham would be good. Once instead of bacon I used leftover chicken from taco night, I didn’t have to use much seasoning, since the meat already had it. Experiment, have fun and happy eating!
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Welcome to April's Home and Garden
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