Frittata with arugula, sundried tomatoes, and goat cheese with a blackberry arugula salad

Alison and her fiancé Tapan came to visit recently and I made a big ol' brunch. Alison and I were roommates in college for three years and she's like my little sister. She's technically a few months older, but the dynamic is undeniable ;-). She and Tapan live in Philadelphia, but, fingers crossed, maybe they'll move down to Maryland so Tapan can do his residency. They were in DC for a wedding, so I had them over for brunch the next day.

I made a frittata, which is like a crustless quiche. Frittatas are basically lots of eggs and any of the fillings you have in an omelette, all mixed together and baked in a cast-iron skillet.

In addition to the frittata, I made a blackberry arugula salad and Alison and Tapan brought farmer's market strawberries and empanadas. I also had some leftover potato salad, strawberry jam, and a strange nutty "Toscano" cheese that had been soaked in Syrah. The jam and cheese went really well together on crackers. It was a great meal!

If you have a regular-sized cast-iron skillet, I would halve this recipe. I've mentioned before that I have a Giant Cast-Iron Skillet of Doom, so I adjusted accordingly. This definitely feeds a crowd.

I served a big slice of frittata over a bed of the salad greens. I think they liked it. It's the perfect brunch dish, because you aren't dirtying a bunch of dishes to make it and you can prep it ahead of time,  serving it at any temperature, from piping hot to room temperature.

Buster was pretty happy to see Alison again and meet Tapan. Being adored by two people at once is when he's happiest.

Frittata with arugula, sundried tomatoes, and goat cheese 
(serves 5-6)

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil
6 oz arugula
1 large onion, diced
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper

12 jumbo eggs
1/2 cup milk
10-12 sundried tomato halves, chopped
5 oz goat cheese
1/2 cup grated Toscano cheese (or Parmesan or Pecorino Romano)


Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

In a large cast-iron skillet, heat the olive oil and cook the onion over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, until the onions are softened. Mix in the salt and pepper, then add the arugula. Let the arugula wilt down. This only takes a couple minutes. Take the skillet off the stove to cool.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs together with the milk and the cheeses. Stir in the tomatoes and the arugula mixture. Pour the egg mixture into the cast-iron skillet and cook it on the stovetop at high heat for about five minutes. Transfer the skillet to the oven. Cook in the oven until the eggs are cooked and there's no jiggle. This took my frittata about 20-25 minutes. Take out of the oven.

You can serve this warm or at room temperature (all' italiana). I served it with an arugula salad (recipe below).


Blackberry arugula salad

Ingredients

6-8 oz arugula
handful of blackberries
handful of sugar snap peas, chopped
2-4 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2-3 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt

Place arugula in a large bowl. Crush blackberries in your hand over the arugula. Pour in balsamic vinegar and sprinkle on salt. Mix by hand. Serve with frittata.