Fresh Summer Zucchini Frittata

This is a lovely frittata with a beautiful presentation. 

These open zucchini flowers that I cut from my garden this morning were used in the frittata.

After washing the flowers, I gently shook off the water, pinched out the stamen, split the petals, and laid them on a towel to dry while preparing the other ingredients.

After mixing eggs with whole milk, extra virgin olive oil, parmesan cheese, a little sea salt and freshly ground pepper, I sautéed two small diced zucchinis for a few minutes (in a non-stick pan) with a small minced shallot in a little extra virgin olive oil.

I gently poured the egg mixture into the pan with the sautéed zucchini and shallot, trying not to disturb them, and topped the mixture with the pretty zucchini flower petals.

I covered the pan with foil, finished cooking on medium/low-medium heat until done (firm in the middle), and slid the finished frittata onto a glass serving plate. We enjoyed the frittata with some Vermont bacon. Or some nice crusty toast rubbed with a garlic bulb and drizzled with extra virgin olive oil would be a nice side.

I followed the recipe in my Extra Virgin cookbook, but it can also be found here: http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/recipes/debi-mazar-and-gabriele-corcos/frittata-with-zucchini.html

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For a lactose-free and milk protein-free version for me: I used organic vanilla soy milk (I think soy milk with vanilla tastes more like milk) in place of whole milk and Go Veggie casein- and lactose-free (and non-GMO) Grated Parmesan Style Topping. As much as I dislike using processed food, this is one of only a few cheese substitutes I'll use. When using Go Veggie, I use a little less than the portion called for since the flavor can be overwhelming. And, of course, the frittata would taste fine without cheese or cheese substitute.

Sausage and Cannellini Beans

I'm not one to get starstruck and don't watch television often but a few weeks ago (yes, just recently) I discovered the cooking show, Extra Virgin, and became an instant fan.

Given my fondness for the food prepared so lovingly on Extra Virgin, I wanted the cookbook also named, Extra Virgin, that was about to be released and reserved a copy. It arrived a day or two after its release on May 6th and this is the first dish I've made from the cookbook.

This dish, simply named, "Sausage And Beans" (salsiccie e fagioli) in the cookbook, was a hit with my family. I chose this recipe because my daughter loves Cannellini beans as does my son but he loves tomato sauce and meat even more. So this dish was perfect. I served it with toasted ciabatta to soak up some of the sauce. We placed a toast on our plates and ladled heaps of beans, red sauce, and sausage over the top. Delicious and flavorful!

Rather than the eight sausages called for in the recipe, I had a rope of sausage on hand which I cut into pieces before cooking, the reason the ends of the sausage look funky. Next time, I'll cook the rope sausage whole and slice after it's cooked or I'll buy individual sausages and keep the sausages whole for a nicer presentation.

Roasted carrots and red peppers was a nice side dish. To make week night dinners quick and easy I often roast vegetables in the oven while I'm preparing the main dish on the stovetop.

The recipe for Sausage and Beans can be found on the Cooking Channel website. It's a little different from the cookbook but sounds just as delicious.