You must understand that I am an unabashed fan of the Coastal Alabama Farmers’ and Fishermen’s Market; I make no pretense about it.  Fresh, healthy food from local people.  However, the experience of shopping at the Market goes deeper than that simple, definitive statement.  The vendors are, without a doubt, some of the nicest people you’ll meet anywhere and they are passionate about what they do.  For an example of that passion, I urge you to stop by the Sweet Bee Farm booth sometime and strike up a conversation with Daryl Pichoff.  First, he’ll give you a sample of honey and then, if you start asking questions, you’ll learn how passionate he is about the purity of his honey, about protecting his bees (of course, it’s well known that something dreadful is happening to bee populations), and about his selectivity regarding where he will allow his bees to collect pollen and pollenate plants.  From him, I learned some of the methods that local farmers are using to minimize or eliminate pesticides from their crops and, in turn, that protects his bee populations.  Not only do I feel better about buying his honey, but I feel better about buying vegetables from local farmers who are using careful methods to protect their customers from harmful pesticides.  As I stated, fresh, healthy food from local people.

On the subject of honey, for many years, researchers have attempted to verify claims that consuming a small amount of local honey each day can help alleviate the symptoms of airborne allergies.  While medical researchers can neither confirm nor refute the beneficial claims, I can report that formerly I was a serious allergy sufferer being in my doctor’s office two times a year seeking relief from pollen-related allergies.  More than a year ago, I started adding a ½ teaspoon of Sweet Bee Farm honey to my non-GMO oatmeal each morning.  Since that time, I feel better … a lot better.  I have now survived two major pollen seasons with little or no noticeable detrimental effects from the pollen.  Some will dismiss my experience as an example of the placebo effect and maybe they’re right.  I don’t care, I’m adding Sweet Bee Farm honey to my diet every day because it makes me feel better and healthier.

As promised, this week’s recipe is my favorite Sunday morning breakfast.  Let’s call it a Coastal Alabama adaptation of an Italian classic dish – the frittata.  As stated before in this blog, each recipe will have at least three ingredients purchased at Coastal Alabama Farmers’ and Fishermen’s Market or from Forland Family Farm.  Also, as a reminder, I’m not a trained chef and make no claims to be other that a self-taught cook who cooks with foods he loves.  So, if you see a cooking instruction that doesn’t read like a professionally written cookbook would be written, you’re right.  Enjoy it anyway.

Coastal Alabama Frittata

Ingredients:

2 yard eggs (available from numerous vendors) at room temperature

2-3 small red potatoes or Yukon Gold potatoes (available from numerous vendors)

Handful of diced tomatoes or quartered cherry or grape tomatoes (available from numerous vendors)  

Optional ingredients: No more than a heaping tablespoon of diced carrots, diced bell pepper, and/or diced green onions (all available from numerous vendors)

¼  cup – ½ cup of diced cheese from AA Farm  (I use Montasio, but a softer cheese such a Fontina or Mozzarella works best and you can even add shredded soft cheese after cooking if you want more cheese.)

Basil and parsley (from plants purchased from Camellia Gardens)

Butter (I use the Amish butter from Forland’s)

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

1. Scrub potatoes clean and quarter potatoes into bite sized chunks.  Coat with olive oil and salt slightly.

2. Bake potatoes at 350° until browned.  Remove from oven and leave the oven on.

3. Warm a skillet over medium heat.

4. Scramble eggs with salt and ground pepper.

5. Add butter to skillet.

6. Add potatoes and arrange evenly.

7. (Optional step) Add vegetables and sprinkle lightly with salt.  Arrange vegetables evenly.

8. Add eggs and rotate the skillet until egg mixture is distributed evenly.

9. Add diced herbs.

10. Add cheese.

11. With a rubber spatula, lift the egg mixture lightly around the edges.

12. While the egg mixture is still very runny, put the skillet in the oven for 10 minutes.

13. Remove and again lift the egg mixture lightly just around the edges.

14. Let sit for 2-3 minutes.  

15. Slide the frittata onto a plate and add sprig of parsley for garnish.  

Enjoy.  

Next week:  Another Coastal Alabama adaptation of another Italian classic, but made in a slow cooker.

See you at the Market.

Bob Zeanah, Author

Work to Do.  Available online from Amazon or Barnes & Noble or Books a Million

No Anchor.  Available online from Amazon or Barnes and Noble or Books a Million

14410 Oak Street

Magnolia Springs AL  36555

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bobzeanah@gmail.com

www.bobzeanah.com