The Shopper Kitchen: Enjoying the Bounty of the Summer Garden

By ANGELA MCRAE, The Shopper Kitchen

Remember how Forrest Gump’s friend Bubba felt about shrimp? That’s how I feel about squash. You’ve got your boiled squash, your broiled squash, your baked squash, your fried squash, your raw squash, your squash casserole and even your squash frittata.

The word “frittata” may sound fancy, but it isn’t. From the Italian word “fritto,” which means “fried,” a frittata is simply an open-faced omelet that can contain chopped vegetables or meats.

Of all the vegetables, squash is the one that most says summertime to me. When the yellow squash photos start showing up in friends’ Facebook feeds, I know that my family produce will appear soon. And I have plenty of squash and other vegetables right now since my dad’s garden is “coming in,” as we say around here. Coincidentally, Daddy also decided he needed a few chickens this year, and as a result, he has supplied me with lots of gorgeous brown eggs, so I expect to be enjoying this squash frittata recipe often in the weeks ahead.

The original recipe I used came from an old Southern Living more than a dozen years ago, but the resulting dish was just too large for my two-person household, and in addition to that, it called for zucchini. I like zucchini just fine, but in a baked dish with plenty of leftovers, the zucchini seemed to turn watery too quickly, so I began adjusting the recipe to make this frittata smaller but firmer.

Ultimately, I realized this is one of those recipes that is probably always going to be tinkered with by the cook. If you don’t have an onion on hand, you can add a little more squash. If you don’t like herbs, you can omit them and adjust the salt and pepper as your only seasonings. The great thing about this frittata is that it’s so quick and easy to make, it’s good both hot and cold, and it can serve as breakfast, lunch or dinner. When it features vegetables fresh from the summer garden, it can be made for a limited time only, so enjoy—and soon!

Squash and Onion Frittata

2 tablespoons butter
3-4 small yellow squash, chopped into 1/2-inch cubes (enough to yield 2 cups)
1 medium onion, chopped
6 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Fresh or dried herbs as desired (I like a dash of dried oregano and thyme)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter in an 8-inch iron skillet over medium heat. Add squash and onions, and sauté them for about 12 minutes or until onions are translucent. Remove from heat. In a medium mixing bowl, combine eggs, sour cream, garlic salt, pepper and herbs and blend. Pour directly over the vegetables already in the skillet. Bake for about 35 minutes or until edges are just turning brown and the center is firm. Yields 6 servings, and I like mine with a little sour cream and salsa on the side.