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It's that time of year - zucchini harvest. If you have a bumper crop this summer, a Zucchini Frittata with Tomato Jam is a tasty way to use some of your harvest!
Adaptable veg
If you are me, you are fortunate to benefit from the largesse of friends with the largest zucchini you thought possible. Huge! We have been able to prepare a few recipes with this ginormous vegetable. I feel like I could be Bubba extolling the culinary virtues and possibilities of the versatile zucchini.
Mild in taste with a high water content, zucchini is very adaptable for many recipes. Bread, muffins, fritters, and of course, frittatas are all great vehicles for this obliging vegetable.
Most popular
I'm sure anyone could guess the most popular vegetable grown in backyard gardens. Easily grown, tomatoes from the garden taste so much better than most in the grocery store. Sun-ripened, plump, and juicy, homegrown tomatoes are another crop that has a bountiful harvest. We have way too many plants with way too many tomatoes that will be ready to be picked at the same time. But I have a solution to this problem.
Tomato Jam
This photo makes me so happy! The variety, shapes, and colors of these tomatoes are like looking at the biggest box of crayons and finding inspiration. Making tomato jam is a way to extend the shelf life of these beauties but also to deepen the piquant flavor. Easy to make, combine the tomatoes in a pan with sliced shallots, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice and zest, sugar, and a bouquet garni of a bay leaf, red pepper flakes, and cumin seeds.
Then it is a short waiting game. The tomatoes will start to pop and split as they get hot. It takes about 30 minutes for the jam to cook down and the sugar to thicken the juices.
There are so many uses for the tomato jam - on bruschetta, on roasted potatoes, and on burgers. And of course, it is delicious on eggs!
Easy meal
There are many alternatives when using eggs to create quick and flavorful meals. Quiche and frittatas are some of my go-tos. This Zucchini Frittata with Tomato Jam, inspired by the Spanish tortilla Espanola has layers of vegetables suspended in the mix of rich egg and cheese. The tomato jam on top is a zesty addition to mild vegetables.
I use a combination of red-skinned potatoes, zucchini, onions, and Manchego cheese. Make sure to use a waxy potato so that the slices don't disintegrate. All the veggies are thinly sliced and cooked on medium heat to soften but not brown.
Use a nonstick skillet or a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet. You will find it is much easier to remove the frittata when it is completely cooked.
The eggs are whisked together and the shredded Manchego cheese is added. Add the zucchini mixture to the eggs and then pour everything back to the pan. It helps to add a little olive oil to the pan to make sure nothing sticks.
Baked in the oven, this is an easy prep recipe with little hands-on cooking. I have made this recipe both in individual pans and in a large skillet.
Perfect pair
One of the best aspects of this recipe is the pairing of mild zucchini with tangy tomato jam. They both benefit from the flavor combination. Sort of like benefitting from your friend's generosity!
So if you are lucky enough to have a bountiful harvest of summer vegetables or are fortunate to have friends with garden benefits, give a Zucchini Frittata with Tomato Jam a try.
Another zucchini recipe - https://tenpoundcakecompany.com/crispy-zucchini-fritters
Another quiche idea - https://tenpoundcakecompany.com/spring-vegetable-quiche
Recipe
Zucchini Frittata
Equipment
- a non-stick or cast-iron skillet
- whisk
- large bowl
- mandolin or sharp knife to cut slices
- paring knife or offset spatula
- serving plate
Ingredients
- 1 cup onions thinly sliced
- 1 ¼ cup red potato thinly sliced
- 2 cups zucchini thinly sliced
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 cup Manchego cheese shredded
- 10 eggs
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°
- Slice the onions, potatoes, and zucchini very thinly. I used a small mandolin but you can slice the veggies with a knife. Try to slice them consistently thin so that everything cooks at the same rate.
- Place skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil to heat for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the onions and potatoes to the skillet. Season with ½ teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon of black pepper. The goal is to cook the veggies without browning them. Occasionally stir them without breaking into pieces.
- After 8 minutes, add the zucchini and combine with the onions and potatoes.
- While the vegetables are cooking, shred the Manchego cheese.
- Crack 10 eggs in a large bowl. Whisk until the yolks and whites are combined thoroughly. Add the cheese. Season with ½ teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon of pepper.
- After the zucchini has been cooked for about 6 minutes, add all the vegetables (onions, potatoes, and zucchini) to the bowl of eggs. Mix everything together with a rubber spatula.
- Pour the contents of the bowl (vegetables, eggs, and cheese) into the skillet.
- Place in the oven and bake until the top feels set - around 15 minutes. Start checking at the 12-minute mark to see if the eggs are cooked. Everyone's oven cooks at a different speed.
- After taking the frittata out of the oven, let it sit for about 5 minutes. Use a paring knife or offset spatula to loosen the sides of the frittata from the pan.
- Place a large plate over the top of the skillet. While holding the plate flat against the top of the skillet with a towel and both hands, flip the plate/skillet over so that the plate is on the bottom. The frittata should come out onto the plate.
- Serve with tomato jam on the top.
Notes
Nutrition
Recipe
Tomato Jam
Equipment
- 8x8 piece of cheesecloth or a coffee filter
- small pan
- piece of string
Ingredients
- 1 pound small tomatoes cherry or grape
- ½ cup shallots sliced
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice ,juice from ½ lemon
- ½ lemon, lemon zest
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 bay leaf
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ¼ teaspoon cumin seeds
Instructions
Assemble bouquet garni
- A bouquet garni is a bundle tied together containing spices. If you do not have cheesecloth, try a coffee filter. Do not use a paper towel. It will disintergrate.
- Lay the cheesecloth or filter flat. Add the bay leaf, red pepper flakes, and cumin seeds. Gather the sides of the cheesecloth or paper filter, enclosing the spices. Tie up the bundle with the piece of string. Be sure to leave a tail of string so that you can pick up the bundle when the jam has finished cooking.
Making the jam
- Add the tomatoes, sliced shallots, sugar, apple cider vinegar, lemon zest and juice, salt, and bouquet garni to a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Then lower the heat to let the jam thicken. The tomatoes will start to split and pop. The sugar will thicken as the liquids reduce.
- After about 25 minutes, the liquid in the jam should be thick. Do not cook out all the liquid. The tomatoes should be very soft and have lost shape. Remove the bouquet garni. You can squeeze out any liquid by pressing the bundle up against the side of the pan with a spoon.
- As the jam cools, it will continue to thicken.
Notes
Nutrition
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