Wild Nettle Frittata

After picking up wild stinging nettles from the Union Square farmer's market this past Saturday, I couldn't help but post another delicious frittata I made. I was surprised at how much I liked the flavor of nettles, and how well they worked with the rest of the ingredients in my frittata. I also stir fried it with diced potatoes, filet mignon tips, and garlic - another simple, yet delicious combination. I love the unique, herby, slightly nutty flavor of nettle, and I'll definitely be back for more!

A bit of background on nettles: Stinging nettles are actually another one of those ignored super veggies, containing the most chlorophyll of any vegetable, 40 percent protein, and higher amounts of vitamins A, C and D, potassium and calcium than spinach. Unfortunately, when handled, they emit formic acid, which causes a painful sting when in contact with bare flesh that can last from a few minutes to 24 hours. So be sure to wear gloves or use tongs when handling raw nettles; once they’re cooked the stinging effect disappears. Also, only use the nettle tops, the stems are so stringy they are sometimes woven into a fiber.

Wild Nettle Frittata Adapted from Alice Waters' Chez Panisse Café Cookbook Ingredients: • 1 pound nettles • 1 medium onion, thinly sliced • ¼ cup plus 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil • 3 cloves garlic, minced (I used about 10 garlic scapes) • ¼ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese • ¼ cup young pecorino or Sardo cheese • 6 eggs, lightly beaten • Salt and pepper Directions: 1. Wash the nettles thoroughly with gloves on. Sauté the onion in 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add another tablespoon of olive oil and the garlic. Season with salt and cook another minute. 2. Add the nettles and turn the heat to high, cooking until nettles are wilted and most of the water they release has evaporated. Drain in a colander and then when cool, chop coarsely. 3. Mix the chopped nettles in a bowl with the cheese and 1/4 cup olive oil. Add the eggs, then salt and pepper to taste. 4. Warm the remaining tablespoon of oil in a large nonstick skillet, and pour in the eggs and nettles mixture, cooking over medium-low until just set and starting to turn brown. 5. Slide the frittata onto a plate and then invert back into the pan. Cook about 13 more minutes until done. Or alternatively, pop it into a 350°F oven for 5-10 minutes, watching carefully to make sure it doesn't burn.

Frittata with Lobster, Corn, Potatoes, and Tomatoes

Until last Saturday, I thought green eggs were just a figment of imagination in Dr. Seuss's book 'Green Eggs and Ham' but they really do exist! Apparently, they're from Araucana hens that were bred in South America by the Araucana Indians, and no one knows why eggs from Araucana hens are green. Originally, the eggs from these hens were actually blue but the pure strain of chickens then became adulterated by other strains of chickens as time went on, and now there are a whole range of blue to green colored eggs. Anyhow, I fried up some of the green eggs sunny-side up, my favorite way of making eggs... and WOW, way better than the conventional chicken eggs from the supermarket! It's hard to describe the difference, but the eggs had a distinct, richer flavor. Delicious, and I'll definitely be going back for more, though they are quite expensive for eggs ($5 for half-a-dozen).


Green eggs

This Saturday, I went back to look for more green eggs, but they had sold out. Instead, I bought a dozen pheasant eggs (slightly sweet and more delicate than chicken eggs) and a dozen wild turkey eggs (richer in flavor than chicken eggs though not as rich as duck eggs). Other times, at the same market, I've purchased pullet eggs (eggs from adolescent hens, which had a lighter, more fluffy texture than eggs from older hens) and duck eggs. I love that there's all these exotic eggs at the Union Square farmer's market!


Wild turkey eggs

Pheasant eggs

The Union Square farmer's market also had live lobsters available this time - just my luck! I decided to steam the lobsters, though you could also boil them. And since I currently can't have any heavy cream, butter, or mayonnaise, the usual pairings for any lobster recipe, I decided why not make an exotic frittata with the either the green eggs, pheasant eggs, or wild turkey eggs and pair it with corn, potatoes, tomatoes, and shallots (all ingredients that pair excellently with lobster)? This is not your typical frittata! And unlike other recipes I've had on this site so far, I decided to create my own recipe entirely, so I guarantee you won't find this recipe anywhere else.


A live lobster - he's looking a little irritated right now, but I knew just the solution! I promised to treat him to a nice, relaxing bath... ;)


See? I knew it would work! He had such a nice time, he didn't even want to leave - muahahaha!

Exotic Egg Frittata with Lobster, Corn, Potatoes, and Tomatoes Ingredients: • Extra virgin olive oil, as needed • 5 shallots, minced • 5 - 6 cloves garlic, minced • 2 cups fresh corn kernels (about 4 ears corn) • Salt and freshly ground black pepper • 2 medium tomatoes, cored and cut into eighths • 2 medium live lobsters, about 1½ pound each, or 1½ pounds cooked lobster meat, cut into chunks, at room temperature • 12 eggs Directions: 1. To prepare the live lobster, there are two methods - To boil: Fill a large lobster pot three-quarters full of salted water (use 1 tablespoon of salt for each quart of water). Bring the water to a rolling boil. Put the lobsters in the pot, making sure they're completely submerged. Cover the pot and begin timing, maintaining the boil, as follows: 1 - 2 pound lobsters: approximately 18 minutes 2 pound or larger lobsters: 22 - 25 minutes To steam: Put about 2 inches of salted water in a large pot (use 1 tablespoon of salt for each quart of water). Put the lobsters in the pot, and cover tightly. Begin timing, and boil for the times listed above. When the lobsters are done cooking, use tongs to remove them and let them rest in the sink to cool. Let the water continue to boil. When the lobsters are sufficiently cool enough to touch, take a pair of sharp kitchen scissors (they kind that you use to cut whole chickens up) to cut the shell and remove the meat. Cut the meat into bite-size pieces. 2. While you are waiting for the lobsters to cool, wash the skin of the potatoes and place them in the boiling water. Allow about 10-15 minutes for smaller potatoes, about 20 minutes for medium potatoes, and more for larger potatoes to cook thoroughly. When they are done cooking, peel the skin with a vegetable peel and cut them into chunks. 3. Put 2 tablespoons olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat; a minute later, add shallot or onion and garlic; cook for a minute, stirring occasionally, until soft. Add corn and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes, until corn begins to brown and tastes cooked; season with salt and pepper. 4. Crack 3 eggs into a large bowl. Add salt to taste, 2 teaspoons olive oil, black pepper and cayenne pepper (if desired). Beat lightly. Stir the eggs with tomatoes, lobster, shallots, garlic, and corn. I also added a handful of spinach, in this case, but that's optional. 5. Thoroughly preheat a 10-inch oven proof pan over medium-low heat. Pour in 2 tablespoons olive oil. After a few seconds, pour in the egg mixture. As the eggs set on the bottom, lift the edges to allow the uncooked egg to flow underneath. Continue to cook for a couple of minutes, then put the pan in the oven until the frittata is set on top, about 7 to 10 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve warm or at room temperature.

Mixed Microgreens Salad with Soft Cheese, Toasted Almonds, and Poached Duck Egg

Poaching eggs is a lot more difficult than it seems. There are numerous different methods: with or without salt, with or without vinegar, in plastic wrap (as shown here ) or dropped into water that has been stirred creating a "tornado". It will take some practice before I get good at poaching eggs because you have to get the timing exactly right and make sure that the egg keeps together when it cooks. However, I'm very pleased with the flavor of duck eggs - it's stronger than that of chicken eggs, just as duck meat is stronger in flavor than chicken meat (at least the white meat). The other difference is that duck eggs are larger in size. So far, I have been poaching the duck eggs, but in the future, I plan to experiment with baking with them in cookies or cakes, or using them in other recipes that require eggs. But first, I want to get poaching them down - I feel like it's one of those basic skills that a chef or a good home cook has to master.

Mixed Microgreens Salad with Soft Cheese, Toasted Almonds, and Poached Duck Egg Ingredients: • 1 pound mixed microgreens (pea shoots, micro mesclun, etc) • ½ cup soft white cheese, crumbled • ½ cup toasted almonds • 1 tablespoon black pepper • 1 tablespoon salt • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar • 4 free-range duck eggs • a pinch of paprika Directions: 1. Wash and spin the microgreens to get rid of excess water. 2. Bring a pan of cold water to a boil and stir the water, creating a "tornado". Drop an egg into the center of the tornado and cook for 4-6 minutes, depending on how running you want the yolk to be. Remove the egg from the heat and drop it into a bowl of ice water, to stop the cooking. 3. Dress the microgreens with a mixture of olive oil and balsamic vinegar, then sprinkle with almonds. Place a poached duck egg on each salad, and add a pinch of paprika. Season the entire salad with salt and pepper, according to taste.