Here they are: the first tomatoes from my garden. Small, but plump and red and juicy. What on earth was I going to cook with these, the first tomatoes I had ever grown myself? This frittata was born out of several things. First, I had lovely, fresh tomatoes, and I wanted to showcase them in something simple and something they wouldn’t disappear in. Second, we needed breakfast and I had eggs and cheese. Third, I didn’t want to wait for a breakfast casserole/quiche to bake forever in the oven, but I was bored of the standard omelet. And so the pan frittata was inspired. Not really a true frittata, which is usually cooked mostly on the stovetop and finished under a broiler, because the pans I have access to are not oven-safe, so all the cooking had to happen on the stovetop. In the end it did turn out to be a tasty breakfast that was filling and perfectly showcased the ripe, fresh tomatoes.

Six eggs and probably a cup of shredded cheese – what I had on hand, which turned out to be mixed cheddar and asiago. I ended up using more like a half to three-quarters of a cup of the cheese; I just added cheese to the eggs until it looked like enough for my tastes.

I sautéed a clove of garlic to give the frittata some extra flavor.

In go the eggs (beaten), cheese and the fresh tomato slices are laid on top. This is a small sauté pan (maybe 6 inches in diameter?), but the eggs will puff up a lot. I realized too late that this would have been awesome with some fresh basil or oregano from my garden. Oh well.

I let it cook, covered, for probably 8–10 minutes until the eggs were completely set and cooked through. If I had an oven safe pan, I probably would have let it cook on the stovetop for 3 minutes and then sprinkle it with more cheese and put it in the oven for another 3–4 minutes.

Like I said, it turned out to be a great way to showcase the lovely fresh tomatoes from my garden. It’s kind of like an omelet that never gets flipped over, and because it doesn’t get messed with the eggs stay really puffy. This was a quick and easy breakfast that I will probably make again; maybe I’ll even make a real frittata once I get some oven-safe pans.

Fresh Tomato Pan Frittata

Ingredients

• 6 large eggs, beaten
• 1 large tomato, sliced
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup shredded cheese
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• olive oil
• a tablespoon or two of fresh herbs (optional)

Directions

1. Sauté garlic in enough olive oil to thoroughly coat the pan until browned and fragrant.
2. Combine the eggs and herbs in a small bowl. Pour eggs into a small sauté pan. Sprinkle shredded cheese over the surface and lay tomatoes on top.
3. Cover and cook over low heat for 8–10 minutes, or until eggs are cooked through.