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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No Flu Soup! Great idea if you’re under the weather- and tastes so good on a cold day

Image by Ewan McIntosh via Flickr

Thyme, onions, garlic and ginger are all supposed to have anti bacterial properties and have been used for centuries to bolster the family immune system during winter. If you sprinkle a layer of cheese on top before serving it can become a special version of French Onion Soup. At the very least it should help keep the vampires away!

No Flu Soup (Serves 4):

2 tbsp olive oil
6 medium-sized onions, sliced thin
1 Tablespoon Clerici Ranch Fresh Thyme, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 inch piece fresh ginger, minced
6 cups chicken broth made from bones of Clerici Ranch chickens
Salt and pepper to taste
Dash of hot sauce if desired
White cheese such as gruyere if desired

Thick slices of toasted bread to serve

Heat the olive oil in a stock pot and saute the onions slowly until lightly browned.
Add in the thyme, garlic and ginger and stir for a few minutes to release their aromas.
Add the broth and salt and pepper then splash in some hot sauce if desired.
Simmer for about 20 minutes stirring occasionally.

Place a slice of toasted bread in the bottom of your soup bowl, cover with soup.
Top with some of your favorite cheese if you like to round out the meal and enjoy!

Related Articles

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• Italian Tomato Soup (notecook.com)

Got flu? Thyme Spray Cleaner is great for disinfecting the kitchen and bathroom

Image via Wikipedia

I love learning about the way our elders used herbs around the house- especially if it helps keep the chemicals away! Thyme has a reputation as a natural disinfectant. This solution is great for wiping down rooms when family members are sick:

Thyme Spray Cleaner:

About 2 cups fresh thyme (From Clerici Ranch, of course!)
4 cups water (if you have water without chlorine, use that- if not, tap water is fine)

Boil the water then take the pan off the heat.
Add the thyme (no need to chop) and steep until cool.
Remove the thyme from the water.
Add 1/2 teaspoon non-detergent soap like Dr. Bronners Peppermint Soap and stir gently until mixed.

Pour the mixture into a good quality spray bottle (we get ours in the gardening section of home depot).
Spray on surfaces to clean- rinse off with a wet sponge.

Related Articles

• Method ANTIBAC Cleaning Products (thegreenists.com)
• Thyme (herbal-properties.suite101.com)
• How to Disinfect Your Kitchen Naturally (brighthub.com)
• Anti-flu soup (thefrugalcook.blogspot.com)

Roasted Ranch Chicken (AKA how do I cook these birds?)

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One of the first things that people notice is that the chicken meat we sell on the ranch is denser and richer. This helps add a layer of flavor you just can’t get from a factory chicken. Because the meat is different, most people need to make adjustments to the way they cook these birds.

Don’t worry- it isn’t hard at all. Just turn down the heat and count on cooking a little longer. Some recipes may require a little more moisture to make up for the longer cooking time.

We often work outside for most of the day and the last thing I want to do is cook an elaborate meal when I am soooooo tired. On those days I will either poach a whole chicken by throwing it in a liquid bath with vegetables and herbs over low heat or if I want something really special I will put a bird in the oven to roast:

Clerici Ranch Citrus Roasted Chicken:

1 roasting chicken (usually between 5-7 pounds)
2 lemons, oranges or other citrus fruit sliced
Fresh herbs or dried herbs such as oregano, basil, thyme, rosemary
Olive Oil to coat chicken
Salt and Pepper to taste

1. Wash the chicken under running water and pat the chicken dry.
2. Select a sturdy baking dish that the chicken will fit into- one that has a tight fitting lid is best as it will seal in the moisture. Otherwise cover with heavy foil and seal the edges well- no need to peek or baste!
3. Rub the surface of the chicken with some oilve oil.
4. Sprinkle the cavity (inside of bird) with salt and pepper to taste). Stuff the cavity of the bird with the herbs and citrus fruits.
5. Salt and pepper the outside of the chicken and place more herbs on the top of the chicken if desired.

Bake at a low temperature (no more than 325 degrees) for about 35 minutes per pound. If you pull on a leg it should be very loose and the internal temperature of the thickest part of the chicken should read at least 180 degrees.

Sometimes I will add root vegetables (carrots, onions, potatoes, etc. during the last two hours of cooking. I just chop them into quarters, toss them with olive oil and salt and throw them into the pan- magic!

 Related Articles

• Chicken soup (independent.co.uk)
• Stephanie J. Stiavetti: Tips on How to Roast a Perfect Turkey (huffingtonpost.com)
• A vow for 2011: No cheap chicken (salon.com)

Add a little elegance to your meal with herb butter (Use for our herbs #2)

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I love to serve hot, fresh from the oven rolls with our holiday meals. One way to make them even more special is to prepare an herb butter to slather on top.

Another use for the leftover herb butter is to top the breakfast muffins right out of the oven to go with a cup o’earl (earl grey tea that is!).

One of my favorite recipes uses lemon balm and thyme:

Relax-after-a-hard-day Herb Butter

2 tablespoons lemon balm (or basil), chopped fine
2 tablespoons thyme, chopped fine
1 cup room temperature butter

In a small mixing bowl,cream the butter and stir in herbs.
Chill for at least 3 hours to allow flavors to blend.
Also great served on seafood or in vegetable dishes.

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