NuM NuM

My favorite meal of the day is breakfast but I rarely ever make it at home for some reason. Today my sister and mom came over for brunch so I decided to whip up a frittata sammie. Frittatas are an easy dish to entertain with since they're not fussy and can be served hot or at room temperature. They're also great because you can add whatever veggies you have in your fridge and throw them in. I had a ton of asparagus so that was the main component of this dish. The frittata turned out okay but didn't have enough flavor b/c I didn't salt it enough. That was easily fixed with some salt sprinkled on top along with some Cholula hot sauce - which always makes everything better.

My favorite part of the dish was the slow roasted tomatoes. Cooking tomatoes this way releases their natural juices and even the most un-ripe tomato will be sweet and juicy. NUM! They are a great addition to any sammie, burger, and in between slices of melted ooey gooey grilled cheese sammies.

Frittata and tomato sandwich – 3 servings
Adapted from Michael Chiarello

• 1 pound asparagus
• 1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for brushing
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped
• 7 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup fontina or provolone cheese , grated
• 8 slices country-style bread
• Red pepper flakes, to taste, optional
• Oven roasted tomatoes

Directions
Preheat broiler.
Cut and discard tough ends of asparagus. Drizzle with olive oil, S&P. Put asparagus on a sheet pan and broil for 6 minutes. Remove from oven and cut into 1/2 inch bite size pieces. Stir the asparagus and basil into the beaten eggs. Season with salt and pepper.
Heat a 10-inch flameproof nonstick skillet over moderate high heat. Add the remaining 1/2 tablespoon olive oil. When skillet is hot, add the egg mixture. Let the eggs cook without stirring until they begin to set, then lift the edges with a spatula and let the uncooked eggs run underneath. Continue cooking until the eggs are mostly cooked but still a little runny on top. Place the skillet under the broiler just until the surface of the frittata no longer moist, about one to two minutes, then sprinkle the cheese on top and broil again until the cheese melts. Slide the frittata onto a serving plate and let cool to room temperature.
Set the oven temperature to 375 degrees F. Brush the bread slices on both sides with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, place on baking sheet. Bake until lightly browned and crisp.
Cut the frittata into slices, place on warm slice of toast, place tomatoes on top of frittata, season with salt and pepper and chili flakes to taste, and cover with another piece of toast. Serve


Oven roasted tomatoes
Vine ripened tomatoes or Plum tomatoes
Dash of salt and pepper
Dash of sugar
Olive oil

Pre-heat oven to 270F. Cut tomatoes in half and de-seed. Sprinkle with S&P, sugar and olive oil. Roast for two hours until tomatoes collapse. To store, keep in refrigerator in an air-tight container. Mine were done after two hours but if you keep them in there too long they will turn black, so check on them after about 1 1/2 hours.

UPDATE: Brush olive oil on bottom of baking sheet. Cut tomatoes in half and de-seed and flavor with salt, pepper, and italian seasoning. Place cut side down and roast at 200F for six hours. These make great additions to sammies or make into a sauce by adding slivered basil, capers, balsamic vinegar and garlic. OR use these in your next caprese salad.