Grandma Jean’s Easy Frittata

This past Friday would have been Megan’s grandmother’s 89th birthday.

I’ve been thinking about Grandma Jean a lot this weekend. She was one hardcore lady. She squeezed every last drop out of life, traveled the world, was brutally honest, and had more energy in her 80s than I think I will ever have. She raised six children, moved her life from Illinois to California, mourned the loss of a daughter and her husband, played bridge and tennis until the very end, volunteered, cultivated a lush and vibrant garden, was quick to jump on a boogie board and catch a few waves at the beach, and accomplished too many other feats to list here.

Grandma Jean taught me: to relax on a hammock whenever possible, to avoid watching the “boob tube” too often, to play different kinds of solitaire, to savor the small yet crucial pleasures in life (coffee first thing in the morning, and pinot grigio at 5 pm), to top pasta with sautéed spinach for the easiest elegant meal, to appreciate the understated sophistication of white (walls, T-shirts, whatever), and to clap along, even if on the wrong beats, to the New Orleans Christmas CD that she played so often she wore it out.

Grandma Jean told me: that just about everything was “darling,” that only boring people were ever bored, that my best friend’s father’s socks were the wrong color, and, upon my complaining about her noise in the kitchen one morning on vacation, that I can sleep when I’m dead.

Grandma Jean gave me: matching bathing suits with my cousin Christina every Easter; a huge, extremely soft, unbelievably cozy blanket in leopard print to keep us toasty when our old and drafty house on Cape Cod was too chilly; a very memorable trip on a cruise to Mexico with Christina, during which time we two gals giggled over the way Grandma said “Mazatlán” (it sounded something like “Matt’s-at-land!” and was always pronounced with sheer joy); a profound admiration of how much one can accomplish with a little elbow grease; and a small ceramic plate with a reindeer painted on it that I look forward to pulling out of storage every Christmas.

Grandma Jean was a classy chef and easy entertainer. She never worked too hard or seemed to get frazzled, but everything turned out just right—she was the kind of hostess we all aspire to be. When my mom and I went over for dinner, she would always say, “Nothing fancy, we’re all family,” as we admired the simple and gorgeous meals that seemed to just materialize in front of us. She would always make me something vegetarian, on the side, without ever making me feel guilty for needing special treatment. Very often my special meal was a frittata full of veggies and topped with bubbling cheese.

And so, Grandma Jean, a frittata for YOU. Happy Birthday! I know you’re not sleeping up there.

Grandma Jean’s Easy Frittata (print here)

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• ½ cup onion or leek, chopped
• 1 cup chopped kale or spinach, with large stems removed
• ½ cup chopped vegetables of your choice (asparagus, bell peppers, broccoli,
• ¼ cup Crispy Breakfast Taters (leftover)
• 5 eggs
• 1 tablespoon milk
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• ¼ cup grated cheddar cheese
• 1 tomato, sliced

Directions

Heat oil and butter over medium heat in an oven-safe skillet. Add leeks or onions and sauté, stirring occasionally, until soft and just beginning to brown (leeks take longer than onions). If using kale, add it and continue sautéing for 5 more minutes. Add your other vegetables and continue stirring. If using spinach, add it at the last minute and cook just until it wilts. Increase heat to medium-high and add (pre-cooked, leftover) potatoes, cooking them just long enough to warm them. In a bowl, whisk eggs, milk, salt, and pepper; then pour eggs into the pan. Let set for about a minute, and then begin stirring as if making scrambled eggs. Cook until about halfway done, allowing edges to firm up. Sprinkle with grated cheese and sliced tomato, and place under the broiler until eggs are completely cooked and cheese is bubbling and browned, usually about 5 minutes. Keep a close eye on it, as it can go from perfect to burned quite quickly. Serve immediately, or at room temperature.

Notes

Other veggies that work really well in frittatas are: asparagus, broccoli (chopped very small), bell peppers, zucchini (salt first to draw out water), and probably many others. We find potatoes to be the essential ingredient, and when they are cooked ahead you can whip up this meal fairly quickly. You can also try a different kind of cheese (jack, goat, or feta have all tasted great to us before).

Frittata keeps extremely well in the fridge for the next day. Wrap individual servings in foil, then reheat in the toaster oven. Leftovers inside of leftovers!