Food

The hens are destroying the grass but the bonus is lovely eggs for this spicy Frittata

Courgette Frittata with harissa yogurt

Frittatas make a quick and easy lunch or dinner

Lilly Higgins's face
Lilly Higgins
Wed Jul 12 2017 - 06:00

After a few years of not having hens we have finally got a few chickens scratching around the garden. And when I say scratching, I mean destroying. The amount of grass one single hen can turn over in a day is just amazing. We’re moving them each day so they have a fresh piece to rotivate.

They seem so busy that I’m convinced they’ll produce some sort of invoice at the end of the month. They started laying almost immediately, happy in their new home. We have a gorgeous light grey bluebell, a Rhode Island red, a barren rock and an amber star. They love watermelon and lettuce. We’re feeding them plenty of herbs, too; the children love to pull up handfuls of oregano or mint if they see me picking it and the hens are the lucky recipients. Oregano is said to boost the hens’ immune system and sage lowers intestinal parasites, so only good can come from their daily herb snacks.

Now that we have a steady supply of eggs, there are more pancakes, omelettes and cakes being made. Frittatas make a quick and easy lunch or dinner. They’re perfect at room temperature, too, and very portable when cooked in a tray like this. For this, use any nice mixture of fresh herbs that you have. Chives are perfect, as they give a subtle air of alliums without being overpowering. Mint is delicious with courgettes, too.

I’ve only recently started using chervil and I love it. It’s great thrown into green salads or in cooking with chicken or fish. It has a lovely, slightly aniseed-like flavour and is delicate with a softer texture than flat-leaf parsley. I serve this frittata with a big green salad and some tomatoes that have been drizzled with olive oil and seasoned with a little salt.

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There’s nothing nicer than perfectly ripe tomatoes – just make sure you don’t keep them in the fridge or they will lose flavour and firmness.

I’ve made a simple harissa-flavoured yogurt to go with this, too. You could use mayonnaise if you don’t have yogurt. I’ve used Parmesan but dollops of goat’s cheese are lovely too; just drop into the egg mix right before it goes into the oven. Anyone who has ever tried to grow their own vegetables will no doubt have experienced a glut of courgettes. A frittata is a lovely way to serve them without feeling like gourds are being crammed into every meal. You will still have pride in knowing that you grew it yourself.

Recipe 

  • Serves: 6
  • Cooking Time: 30 mins
  • Course: Main Course
  • Cuisine: Fusion

Preheat the oven to 180C. Line a 20cm rectangular tray with greaseproof paper. Whisk the eggs with the milk in a medium-sized bowl. Press the grated courgette in a sieve to remove any excess moisture. Tip them into the egg mixture.

Add the grated Parmesan and herbs. Season generously with salt and pepper. Pour the mix into the dish, making sure the courgette is evenly dispersed. Bake for 25-30 minutes till just set.

While the frittata is in the oven mix up the yogurt. Swirl the harissa through the yogurt. You may need to add salt or lemon juice. Season to taste.

Sprinkle with some freshly chopped herbs and serve right away or at room temperature with the harissa yogurt, tomatoes and a green salad.

Ingredients

  • Courgette frittata with harissa yogurt
  • Serves 4-6
  • 6 eggs
  • 100ml milk
  • 250g grated courgette
  • 85g Parmesan
  • 4 tbsp. finely chopped herbs (parsley, dill, chervil, marjoram, mint etc.)
  • 1 generous pinch sea salt
  • 1 tsp Black pepper
  • 200ml yogurt
  • 1 tbsp harissa paste, or to taste