recipe: corn and spinach frittata with basil from the garden

in my last post, i shared a photo of a family favourite: corn and spinach frittata with basic from our garden.

i am obsessed with making frittatas. mainly because they're easy to prepare but mostly because the variations are endless. i often clean out my fridge by making a fritata, hide vegetables from my unsuspecting children - never mind the fact that i can eat it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. 

my basic fritata formula:

• 8 eggs
• cheese (cheddar, parmesan, ricotta)
• leafy greens (herbs, spinach, kale)
• vegetables with texture (potatoes, broccoli, red pepper, tomatoes)
• onion or garlic (optional)

i know it sounds like a lot of eggs but i only have one cast iron pan and it's big. if you've got a smaller pan, by all means use less of everything. (and you don't actually really need a cast iron pan, any old oven-proof skillet type pan will do just fine.)


corn and spinach fritatta with basil from the garden

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp butter
half a medium onion, diced (or 2 taste)
1 1/2 cups corn
8 eggs
a big handful of basil, chiffonade or  1 tbsp good pesto (to taste)
1/2 cup or more cheddar
2 large handfuls baby spinach
salt and pepper to taste


preheat oven to 350 degrees.
in the cast iron skillet you're going to use, sautee the onions in the olive oil and butter until transluscent and add the corn. cook together and season while you prepare the egg mixture.
mix eggs, basil, cheddar, spinach, and season well in a large bowl. don't worry if the baby spinach looks unwieldy. they will settle nicely.
pour the egg mixture over the corn and onions in the cast iron and spread evenly. (sprinkle some more cheese of the top if you like.)
transfer the pan into your preheated oven and let it back for 30 minutes, give or take a few minutes. you're looking for the egg mixture to set well and the top of the frittata to brown nicely.
let the frittata cool for 5 minutes before cutting into wedges and serving.

we often have our frittatas for lunch or brunch by itself, or with some bread and wedged cucumbers: my definition of comfort food.