Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Roasted Tomato, Arugula & Goat Cheese Frittata

Posted by Erin Wilburn / 8 comments » / breakfast, goat cheese, vegetarian

We’ve got a pretty good little thing going on in our neighborhood.  Across the street from us are two other couples with babies.  Between the three babies, they are each spaced 3 months apart, with Elliott being the youngest.  We’ve settled into a fun rotation of having everyone over for a meal.  Finally, it was our turn.  Seeing as breakfast is my favorite type of food, and Elliott is in the best mood in the daytime, I suggested brunch when it was our turn.  Plus, secretly I knew if I threw a brunch, many of the items I could prepare in advance.

I planned on serving mimosas & iced coffee, fresh fruit, greek yogurt + granola, scones, buttermilk biscuits, breakfast sausage (homemade & ground by my father!), and I knew I wanted an egg based dish as well.  I decided on a frittata over a quiche because the frittata is crustless.  I felt we were pretty well covered in the carb section!  I wanted to use my slow roasted tomatoes and the organic arugula I scored for a great price.  I love goat cheese, and I thought it might round the dish.

This frittata was superb!  The flavors pair perfectly, and I have to say this is my new favorite frittata/quiche combo.  That says a lot, because I have made many different variations.  The slow roasted tomatoes add almost a sweetness, while still being savory.  The arugula contributes a subtle peppery bite, and the goat cheese comes in with the tang.  We got a lot of compliments on it from our neighbors.  This frittata was perfect for entertaining, but would also be great enjoyed as a weeknight meal.  It comes together incredibly fast, and the payoff is delicious.

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Roasted Tomato, Arugula & Goat Cheese Frittata

Ingredients:

6 large eggs
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup whole milk
Sea salt and cracked pepper
4 oz soft goat cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup olive oil
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups roasted cherry tomatoes
3-4 cups arugula, roughly chopped, plus 1/2 cup for garnish leaves
Extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375

In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream and milk until smooth. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Add the cheese and stir once. Set aside.

In a 10-inch frying pan over medium heat, warm the 1/4 cup olive oil. Add the garlic and saute until light golden. about 1 minute. Add the chopped arugula and roasted tomatoes, stir to mix, cooking 1 min. Pour the egg mixture over the vegetables and cook until the mixture begins to set, about 5 minutes. Place in the oven and bake until the frittata has completely set and is golden brown on top, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let stand for 5 minutes. Sprinkle the frittata with the arugula leaves and drizzle with oil. Cut into wedges and serve right away.

*You will think you are using way too much arugula but it will cook down!

Adapted from The Afternoon Off, originally from Cooking in Cast Iron

Most times when I come up with an idea for a dish, I first google it to see if anyone else has had the same idea.  I think people who experiment and come up with their own recipes are awesome.  I just do not have time to experiment these days, so I’d rather have some sort of guideline to follow.  So, when I googled “Tomato Arugula Goat Cheese Frittata” I quickly found a similar recipe on a blog called The Afternoon Off.  I made a couple of adaptions, considering I was using the slow roasted tomatoes.

I was surprised after I read more of the blog The Afternoon Off, where I found the recipe, to discover not only is the blogger a Nashvillian as well, she is none other than singer/songwriter, fashion boutique owner, Holly Williams, daughter of Hank Williams Jr.  Wow!  This is totally feels like one of those “Nashville” experiences that tend to happen if you’ve been here long enough.