If I’ve ever had farm fresh eggs before this frittata, I certainly don’t remember it. I grew up in Bakersfield, CA, in a small tract-style home with a mature naval orange tree growing in the backyard. It always gave us more fruit than we could handle, so we often showed up to friends houses with large grocery bags full of oranges. This wasn’t unique to the Sanchez family either, many residents of Bakersfield had flourishing fruit trees, or held jobs with the growers of the valley. Bags of carrots, cartons of oranges, sacks of almonds and cases of grapes were all readily exchanged for goods and services among friends and family members. So I find it seriously strange that I cannot recall having had farm fresh eggs! There must have been a time, but it’s lost among the other early Bakersfield memories that have begun to fade from my mind.
Living in Fairbanks, AK really limits the availability of fresh anything, so when a friend dropped off farm fresh eggs from the farm of a mutual acquaintance, I was elated! Farm fresh eggs, in interior Alaska? Is that even possible? Apparently, it is. And these chicken champions lay some delicious eggs.
I knew that I wanted to make a dish starring these beautiful eggs, and a frittata immediately came to mind. This happened to fall on Isaac’s first day home from a week-long business trip, so we put the kids down for a nap, and cracked some eggs for a hearty mid-week brunch.
Mild Italian turkey sausage, fingerling potatoes, onion and cheddar provide the filling while thyme, rosemary and basil round out the flavors. It’s a easy dish made with ingredients we usually have on hand.
- 4-6 fingerling potatoes, diced into small bite sized pieces
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1/2 lb mild italian turkey sausage, cooked
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 8 farm fresh eggs
- 1/3 cup milk
- 1/4 tsp dried rosemary
- 1/4 tsp dried sweet basil
- 1/4 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp kosher sea salt
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
- 1 cup cheddar
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley to garnish (optional)
- Put oven rack on highest shelf, and turn on broiler to low.
- In an oven safe skillet, sautè onions, potatoes and cooked turkey sausage on medium high heat until the onions are translucent and the potatoes are soft.
- In a separate mixing bowl, add eggs, dried spices, and milk, mixing into fluffy consistency. Add cheddar and mix.
- Reduce heat to low, level the vegetables in the skillet, add egg mixture. Cook until the eggs set around the edges (about 3-4 minutes).
- Place skillet in oven, and cook another 2-4 minutes, checking frequently to prevent scorching. When the surface of the frittata is taut and golden, remove from oven. Allow frittata to set for five minutes before serving.
Yea Yea Pueblo 