KC and I started getting a CSA box a few months ago, and opted to tack on a dozen farm-fresh eggs to our order.  The living conditions of chickens at large-scale farms sort of appalls me, so I feel ok about paying a premium for eggs that I know are fresh and from well-treated hens .  Also, I do sometimes use raw egg yolks in salad dressing and raw egg whites in cocktails (don’t knock it till you’ve tried it!), so having non-sketchy eggs is a must.

Because we get our eggs delivered every other week, come rain, shine, or vacation, we sometimes end up with a couple dozen in the fridge if we don’t go through them fast enough.  This isn’t usually the case, given mine and Alexis’ penchant for pisco sours at our Friday night happy hours, but because KC and I were in Hawaii for a week, we ended up being inundated with eggs — half of which were on the verge of expiring.  The solution?  This frittata.  Frittatas are a great way to use up eggs and random produce.  You can basically put whatever you want into a frittata — meat, veggies, potatoes, cheese, herbs…  The possibilities are endless.  You can also make it whatever size you want (dependent, of course, on the size of your oven-proof cookware).

My frittata ended up being enormous due to the size of my pan (I used my Le Creuset braiser) and the amount of eggs I wanted to get through (1+ dozen).

Because frittatas are so customizable, here’s a rundown on the  basics:  cook your meat and veggies, then place them in an even layer in whatever oven-proof pan you’re using, over medium-high heat.  Cover everything with your egg mixture and cook until it’s just starting to set in the middle — about 5 min (no stirring!).  Cover top with cheese/herbs (if using), then transfer to an oven at 400° and bake until fully set, 5-15 minutes depending on the size of your frittata.

Here’s the recipe for the (huge!) frittata I made:

Roasted Vegetable Frittata

serves 6-8

• 1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
• 1 small bunch broccoli, cut into florets
• 1 medium sweet potato, cut into 1″ dice
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 15 eggs (yeah, I used 15 eggs.  I told you it was huge.)
• splash of milk (I used half and half)
• grated Parmesan cheese
• handful of grape tomatoes, cut in half
• crumbled goat cheese (about 3 oz)
• olive oil
• salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 425°.
2. Place cauliflower, broccoli, and sweet potatoes onto a baking sheet in a single layer.  Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper, then toss to combine.  Bake until desired done-ness is reached (I baked mine for 20 min).  Remove veggies, then lower oven to 400°.
3. In a mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, salt and pepper, Parmesan cheese, and tomatoes.
4. Place your oven-proof pan on the stove over medium-high heat.  Add about 1 tbsp of olive oil, then add the onion, salt and pepper, and saute until just softened.
5. Add roasted vegetables to the pan, distributing evenly.  Cover with egg mixture and cook until the middle is just starting to set, above 5 minutes (don’t stir! Just leave it alone here — very important).
6. Sprinkle goat cheese over the top, then transfer pan into the oven and cook until entirely set, 5-15 minutes.  (Mine took about 13 minutes.)

We like to eat frittatas with hot sauce, but sour cream and salsa are also good additions (as is a green salad — but, y’know, I was tired, so that didn’t happen).