Spinach Frittata with Ramps

The beauty of the frittata is its versatility. Once you've figured out the proportions of egg, cheese, and milk you like, the rest is simple; you can switch out cheeses, veggies, and meats at will, depending on what you have in your cabinets.

I, of course, have an overabundance of ramps at the moment. I also have some left over ham (CAFO meat, sadly - but I did get a local chicken for a project later in the week), left over ricotta, and the ubiquitous spinach (I can't wait till broccoli comes into season!). I based tonight's frittata on the one I made for Easter, with updated cheese/milk/egg proportions. It came out perfect, texture- and vegetable-wise, but next time I would add more ham - perhaps as much as twice the amount. I didn't add any salt because of the ham, and left out the pepper since I didn't care for that last time.



Spinach Frittata with Ramps

1 large carrot
Canola oil
3 ramps, sliced, white and green separated
3 scallion greens (I had them left over)
4 cups of torn fresh spinach, packed (used an entire 1/3-pound package from the market)
1 cup of milk
3/4 cup of ricotta (this was left over, too)
¼ cup of shredded mild cheddar
2 Tablespoons of Parmesan cheese
5 eggs
3/4 cup ham, cubed

Shred the carrot in the food processor; sauté in a good drizzle of oil until darker and somewhat tender, about four minutes. Add the white parts of the ramp and sauté another minute or two; add the greens from the ramp and the scallions and cook until darkened somewhat. Toss the spinach on top and let it heat till it just wilts. (Be sure to use a large skillet so there’s room!)

Put the chopping blade in the food processor and dump it all in. Pour the milk over the top and give it a pulse or two to cool it down; you don’t want to risk the eggs cooking on contact. Add in all the remaining ingredients. Pulse till blended. Scatter ham across the bottom of a greased casserole dish and pour vegetable/egg mixture over the top. Sprinkle with some extra cheddar for pretties.

Bake at about 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until firm.