Zucchini Blossom Frittata

A friend once told me that few words send a man running out of the kitchen faster than “frittata.” Men, he insisted, wanted their eggs free of things like asparagus or red peppers. Frittatas were for baby showers, he said, and grown men wanted nothing to do with either. I must have subconsciously bought into it because until last night I’d never dared make a frittata for my husband. But then there is the issue of squash blossoms. I can’t help myself when I see them.

Usually I put them in quesadillas or risotto, but I haven’t been able to get this Zucchini Blossom Frittata I’d seen in Bon Appétit a couple summers ago out of my head. Turns out my husband loves frittata, mostly because he didn’t know what the word meant or that it was supposed to send him screaming from the room. This particular recipe is a winner because it can be made in 10 minutes on top of the stove—the time in which it took Mr. Foodinista to perfectly grill some sea trout out back. And frittata leftovers are fantastic for lunch the next day!

Zucchini Blossom Frittata

Adapted from Bon Appétit

20 zucchini blossoms, stems removed (about 3 ounces)

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon smoked Spanish paprika (original recipe calls for piment d’Espelette or cayenne pepper, but I love the smokiness of the Spanish stuff)

7 large eggs, whisked to blend

1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh Italian parsley

Gently rinse and dry zucchini blossoms. Preheat broiler.

Heat oil in 10-inch nonstick ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion; reduce heat to medium and sauté until soft, about 4 minutes. Add blossoms and sauté just until wilted, turning often, about 1 minute. Sprinkle with salt and pimenton.

Spread blossoms in skillet in single layer; increase heat to medium-high. Add eggs and cook until beginning to set around edges, lifting frittata with heatproof rubber spatula and allowing eggs to flow underneath. Continue cooking until eggs are softly set, about 5 minutes.

Transfer skillet to broiler; broil until top of frittata is set, 1 minute. Slide frittata onto platter. Sprinkle with parsley. [Serve alongside Mr. Foodinista's picture-perfect grilled sea trout!]

Cheers to Cinco de Mayo

My in-laws are visiting from the East Coast and for their last night we are planning a Mexican-inspired feast to send them off in California style. For those of us who grew up in the Golden State, celebrating Cinco de Mayo is a matter of cultural pride. I took particular delight in celebrating Mexico’s victory over France when I was living in Paris a little over a decade ago. I grabbed a six pack of Stella Artois—Belgium’s answer to Corona, only Corona is much, much better—and a couple limes at the local Monoprix, and headed back to my little apartment on Rue Paul Bert. There, I shoved a ceremonial lime slice down the neck of a bottle of Stella, and sat with the windows open, smoking a cigarette and drinking a toast to my friends back home. It may have been the only time I truly savored a Stella.

So for tonight, Mr. Foodinista and I are putting together a menu of some of our favorites as follows. And, of course, margs. What will you be cooking up tonight? Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Cinco de Mayo Menu

Squash Blossom Quesadillas—I picked up a fistful of colorful squash blossoms on Monday at farmers market. I love them with a little creme fraîche, feta and cracked black pepper in a tortilla.

Salad with Spicy Lime and Avocado Vinaigrette—a recipe from my friend Jimmy Shaw at Loteria and a staple in our home. Love the spicy pumpkin seeds!

Red Beans and Rice with Salsa—Tiny G’s nanny is an excellent cook and learned all the Mexican classics from her mother-in-law. While Tiny G takes a power nap, she plans to make our kitchen smell awesome with tomatillos, chiles, garlic and onion simmering away. (Note: Tiny G’s nanny points out that the rice in this dish should be shorter grain than in the photo—and will be tonight!)

Grilled Carne Asada—Our neighbor Chris, an expert griller, turned Mr. Foodinista onto the carne asada from Liborio Market. Last year at our Guac Off, Mr. Foodinista grilled up something like 15 lbs of the stuff. And there were no leftovers.

And for dessert? In my fantasy world it’s Tres Leches Cake from Animal restaurant on Fairfax. OR the Banana Dulce de Leche Ice Cream from Milk on Beverly is muy delicioso.

Squash Blossom Quesadillas

This evening I heard a ratta-tat-tat at my back door, and opened it to find my dressed-to-the-nines, 81-year-old neighbor Joyce (and her stylish Jack Russell, Chelsea). Joyce had half a dozen squash beautiful blossoms to share with us, and I knew exactly what I wanted to do with them. I grabbed some crème fraîche and feta out of the fridge, and mixed a dollop of the crème fraîche with some crumbed feta.

Then I spread the feta mixture on one half of a tortilla, and then topped with torn squash blossoms and a little freshly cracked pepper.

Then I folded them over, and deep-fried them in vegetable oil for a couple minutes, flipping once and burning the hell out of my hand in the process, so ¡cuidado! And Feliz Cinco de Mayo!

P.S. The quesadillas were muy bueno!

P.P.S. I don’t habla español so good. Does it show?