Need a plan for that bounty of squash you may have received from your CSA basket/farmers market/generous neighbor?  I did, when I was given my basket from Big Moon Farm, the CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) farm that I’m a member of.  This sunshine-y Squash Pie is the perfect plan, and you can use any type of summer squash you have in abundance like yellow squash, zucchini, patty pan or a mixture.

This pie is something between a crust-less quiche and a frittata, and is baked in the oven.  It’s open to many variations of not just the squash, but also the herbs and cheese depending on what you have on hand.  Make sure to completely drain the squash so the pie doesn’t become runny.

Now, embrace that bag of squash and savor the summer.

Squash Pie

makes 6-8 servings

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 pound (about 2 or 3) yellow squash, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons fresh basil, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 tomato, thinly sliced
• 1 ounce feta cheese, crumbled

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet set over medium heat. Add the squash, green onions, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until squash has softened and is beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl to cool.
3. Drain the cooled squash in a colander, pressing gently to remove extra liquid. Return to the bowl.
4. Add the basil, parsley, and eggs to the squash, stir to combine. Pour into a round, deep baking dish. Cover with the tomato slices and sprinkle with feta. Bake until set, 50 to 60 minutes. Serve hot or at room temperature.

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Today I’d like to pay tribute to the egg.  Often overlooked and previously maligned, it has overcome its humble beginnings and surpassed its bad reputation to earn a place in the food spotlight.

Eggs are a perfect food for anytime of day.  They play well with others and are ready for anything, whether it be French, Mexican, Mediterranean, Spanish, American or any other flavor combination you are in the mood for.  Need some ideas?  How about a prosciutto and arugula breakfast sandwich, or an English muffin egg sandwich, or maybe Oeufs en Cocotte, or a puff pastry breakfast tart, or simply the most perfect scrambled eggs.

Today I bring you the Tortilla Egg Bake.  A sumptuous little dish that could be made any time of day, really.  It combines peppers, onions, eggs and cheese in a tortilla shell that is baked in the oven until perfectly set.  The recipe is basic, but you can add any other vegetables to the mix that you have on hand – tomatoes, zucchini, roasted potatoes are just a few suggestions.  Simply add them in with the pepper and onion sauté.  Feel like a little ham or bacon?  That can go in, too.  As for the cheese, just pick your favorite.  You can make just one or ten at a time – your choice.

Let’s give those eggs a round of applause ’cause they deserve it.

Tortilla Egg Bake

from Shortbread

makes 2

Ingredients

• cooking spray
• 2 small (6″) flour tortillas
• 1/4 cup onion (red, white, yellow or green), diced
• 1/4 cup red or green pepper, diced
• 4 large eggs
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon  pepper
• 2 tablespoons cheddar cheese, shredded

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly spray two 8 ounce ramekins with cooking spray. Press a tortilla into each ramekin.
2. Coat a medium sauté pan with cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Add onion and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are soft, about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
3. In a medium bowl whisk together eggs, salt and pepper until well combined. Stir in cooked vegetables and cheese and pour mixture equally into ramekins. Bake about 20 minutes until center is set and a knife inserted into center comes out clean. Let sit about 5 minutes before serving.

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Speaking of New Year’s resolutions, was one of mine last year to stop procrastinating?  If so, I did not achieve it.  Most obviously not when I was sitting through twenty hours of continuing education classes in one weekend of December.  I should probably put that on the list for 2010.

One good thing about that weekend, however, was that I was staying near a ton of outlet stores.  I happened to wander into a bargain bookstore and scored big on some cheap-as-heck cookbooks.  Of course, right in the middle of my cookbook choosing frenzy one of my children had to make an urgent trip to the restroom – not located anywhere near the bookstore but coincidentally close to the Disney Store.

I made it back though, and one of my scores was nancy silverton’s sandwich book.  She was one of the founders of La Brea Bakery, a name you’ve probably seen in the bakery aisle of your grocery store.  The book is filled with fabulous ideas for sandwiches, and I’m well on my way to trying them all.  This was the first one that caught my eye, an open-faced prosciutto, arugula, and egg creation she calls Breakfast Sandwich.  But I made it not only for breakfast, but for lunch and for dinner – until I used up all the prosciutto.  Trust me, you’ll want to, too.

Breakfast Sandwich

adapted from nancy silverton’s sandwich book

serves 2

Ingredients

• 3 scallions, green parts only, coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley, coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon white-wine or white vinegar
• pinch of salt
• 2 large eggs
• 2 slices white or whole-wheat sourdough bread
• 1 ounce prosciutto, thinly sliced into 4 pieces
• 1 cup arugula, loosely packed
• sea salt or kosher salt, to taste

Directions

1. Make the scallion oil:  Pulse the scallions and parsley in a food processor until finely chopped. Add the olive oil and process another few seconds to combine.
2. Poach the eggs:  Bring a medium saucepan filled with water to a boil. Turn the heat to a low simmer and add the vinegar and salt. Crack the eggs into a small bowl (make sure the yolks aren’t broken). Stir the water in a slow circle, then carefully add eggs one at a time. Poach for 2 to 2 1/2 minutes until whites are set and yolks are runny. Remove eggs with slotted spoon and rest on a paper towel or bread heel.
3. Grill the bread slices in a panini press or toast them.
4. Assemble sandwiches:  Spoon a tablespoon of scallion oil over the bread. Drape 2 slices of prosciutto over it, and cover with the arugula. Center a poached egg over each one, and drizzle a teaspoon of scallion oil over the egg. Sprinkle with salt.

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