Summer is here, it’s frittata time again

A Frittata is an Italian version of an omelette.

The preparation is slightly different as frittatas are usually started on the stovetop and finished under a broiler.

The result is an egg dish that is firm, and nicely brown on the top and edges. Frittatas require an ovenproof skillet for preparation, but no other special equipment. These are great dishes to highlight fresh, seasonal ingredients or a perfect way to utilize leftovers.

Frittatas are perfect for breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner. Once cooked, they can be served hot, or cooled and served at room temperature. This flat omelette style dish will serve 4 to 6 people easily, often many more, as a frittata can have a dozen eggs or more in the dish along with fillers such as cheese, meat, and vegetables.

Napa Dave’s Fresh Herb Cream Cheese Frittata

12 Farm Fresh Eggs
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp Pepper
2 Fresh Sage Leaves, minced
½ tsp Fresh Oregano Leaves, minced
½ tsp Fresh Thyme Leaves, minced
1 tablespoon Butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1 half white onion, cut into thin slivers
4 San Marzano Tomatoes, sliced
1 cup Fresh Basil Leaves, finely chopped
8 ounces Cream Cheese, cubed in about ½ inch pieces
Sour Cream or Avocado Sauce for topping

Pre-heat your oven to 325 degrees.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, salt, pepper, sage, oregano, and thyme and set aside.

Melt the butter in a large, oven proof skillet (we use a cast iron pan here on the ranch).
Add the garlic, onions and tomatoes to the skillet, and sauté for about one minute until they are soft.

Reduce heat to low. Add fresh basil leaves and sauté until leaves are limp.|
Pour the egg mixture over the mixture in the skillet and top with the cream cheese.

Cover and bake for approximately 20 minutes or until set on top.
Serve with sour cream or an avocado sauce on top.

Enjoy!

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Tangy Fresh Tomato Salad Dressing Recipe

We are being optimistic here- hopefully we will have early tomatoes. All these unseasonable storms keep knocking the fruit off our plants, but things are changing weather wise around here anyways- fresh tomatoes arriving soon!

We keep little baggies of poached chicken in the freezer for quick meals. During hot weather we love garden fresh salads, and a vegetable salad topped with tender moist chicken is a favorite.

Making your own salad dressings can be quick, economical and very healthy as well. This one takes a few more minutes to pan roast some garlic cloves but is so worth it in terms of fresh flavor.

You can zip this dressing up with some horseradish or even dijon mustard for a delightful seafood salad if you like:

• 6 cloves garlic, roasted then peeled ( I throw them in a frying pan with a cover on low heat while I prepare the other ingredients)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 medium Clerici Ranch tomatoes, chopped
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/4 cup onions, finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons Clerici Ranch Lemon Vinegar
• 1/3 cup Clerici Ranch basil, finely chopped

Throw all the ingredients in a blender and process until smooth.
Keep refrigerated if not using right away.

Enjoy!

Related articles

• The Salad Bowl: Honey-Balsamic Bean Salad (thecooksnextdoor.com)
• Salads Make Sense (tweenliklive.wordpress.com)
• Chopped salads deliver array of tastes, textures, colors (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
• Recipe: Michael Symon’s Summer Salad (seattletimes.nwsource.com)

Basil Blue Cheese & Pear Mini Phyllo Tarts (Use for our herbs #4)

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It isn’t like we sit around and eat appetizers while sipping the finest wine the region has to offer- at least not every day that is. But, we do have a lot of company from out of town and we like to give them the Napa experience.

We love our appetizers. Our guests enjoy sitting on the full length porch overlooking the vineyard while sipping wine. These little tarts taste like a million dollars, but are easy to make:

Basil Blue Cheese & Pear Mini Phyllo tarts

• 30 frozen miniature phyllo cups
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 fresh Napa Valley Pears, peeled and chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 5 ounces blue cheese, crumbled
• 2 tablespoons Napa Ranch Basil, finely shredded

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Place the frozen phyllo shells on a rimmed baking sheet.
3. Melt the butter in a small skillet over medium-high heat.
4. Place the pears in the skillet and cook, stirring for 1 minute to soften slightly.
5. Sprinkle the sugar over the pears and let cook, stirring until they are completely soft, 2 minutes longer.
6. Remove skillet from heat.
7. Place 1 teaspoon of the pears and their juice in each phyllo shell.
8. Sprinkle each tart generously with blue cheese and sprinkle with basil.
9. Bake until the cheese melts and the shells are crisp and golden brown 7 to 8 minutes.
10. This recipe can be made the day before and reheated in an oven at 350 degrees for 3 to 4 minutes.

Our favorite wine choice: Riesling