CHARD + LEEK FRITTATA

Chard & Leek Fritata . Sprouted Kitchen

I am supposedly having a baby today, though I'm aware that date is flexible. It has been the strangest week of waiting for this huge thing to happen. I made sure the plants got extra water, haven't left the house without my phone, washed my hair a little more frequently because I will have this first picture of us forever. I wanted to prep a lot of food for us to have at the ready or in the freezer but I just couldn't do it. It felt like I was writing off all signs normalcy by hoarding food for when life changes maybe tomorrow or maybe in a week or so. All I could muster up this week besides a loaf of berry flecked banana bread was this frittata. I hesitate to post it as I know I am not showcasing anything particularly creative or unique here, but when you are waiting for something huge to happen, all you can really do is normal - the tasks or food or errands you don't even have to think about, and for me, that includes frittatas and banana bread. I sauté up what looks egg-friendly from the crisper drawer, whisk a few eggs and whatever cheese needs to be used and it's the perfect little protein cake to warm up with a piece of toast. Something simple and predictable - just about all we're up for until not given the choice. 

There will be a bit of silence around here but we'll pop in with a few pictures of the wee one when he decides he's fully cooked. Big hugs. 

Chard & Leek Fritata . Sprouted Kitchen

CHARD + LEEK FRITTATA // Serves 4

I used chard and leeks because it was what I had, but any green or onion could work here. I prefer a thicker frittata slice, so I go with eight eggs in an 8" pan. You could get away with six eggs but note it will be even more veggie packed. 

• 1 leek, halved and cleaned
• 1 small bunch swiss chard, stem and ribs removed (or 5 cups chopped dark leafy green of choice)
• 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 8 eggs
• 1/4 cup heavy cream or creme fraiche
• 1/2 tsp. cayenne
• 1/2 cup feta cheese
• sea salt + pepper 

Chard & Leek Fritata . Sprouted Kitchen

Preheat the oven to 375'. Warm 1/2 Tbsp. of the oil in a pan over medium heat. Slice the leek into thin half moons and add it to the pan. Sauté for 5 minutes until well softened.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and cream well with the cayenne and generous pinch of salt and pepper. Add the leeks into the bowl. 

Warm another 1/2 Tbsp. of the oil and sauté the greens with a small pinch of salt until wilted, about 3 minutes. Allow them cool slightly, releasing the steam pockets. Add the greens to the egg bowl along with half the feta and stir everything to mix. 

In an 8" pan, preferably non-stick, warm the remaining Tbsp. of olive oil over low heat. Add the egg mixture to the pan, sprinkle the top with the remaining feta and cook for about 5 minutes until the edges start to look cooked. Transfer the pan to the oven and cook for about 15 minutes until you jiggle the pan (with a mitt, it'll be hot) and the center of the frittata is slightly soft. It will set as it cools. Slice the frittata into wedges and serve with warm buttered toast. 

Frittata will keep covered in the fridge for a week. 

Chard & Leek Fritata . Sprouted Kitchen

BUTTERMILK BERRY CRUMB CAKE

Buttermilk Berry Crumb Cake . Sprouted Kitchen

I'm reading a few different baby books. I read a little of one or the other each night. Just enough to gather a bit of advice I find helpful, tell Hugh about it, and then doze off. One is about pregnancy, and while I have gotten pretty lucky by way these 10 months go, these last few weeks have been more trying in regards to how I feel physically. So tired and fatigued merely from the task of carrying around a mini person in my mid-section all day. While these books bring up pretty obvious points, I am fascinated by how innate and instinctive the qualities are that take over in the last month or so. The nesting, cleaning, preference to withdraw a little bit... In my moments of fear and angst, I try to remember how natural this is, how we've been making babies since the beginning of time. Maybe part of some womens' nesting includes cooking, but I assure you it is the absolute last thing I feel like doing. Ironically, our cookbook manuscript is due next week so food is powering through this kitchen regardless. Head down and go. I also really wanted to stay in the habit of having people over and enjoying a meal with friends, so this season has been... intresting. 

We have friends coming for coffee tomorrow, another couple for dinner, and my parents here helping in the yard on Saturday (yea, about that whole final month recluse deal...). I needed a breakfast snacking cake that would last through a few days of visitors. While I do prefer it, my grain-free baking is hit or miss, so I went a more traditional route for this recipe. This cake has a tight crumb, almost dense in the most charming of coffee cake ways. A cake that requires you to take small bites between sips of coffee. We ate it with some loosely whipped cream and extra berries because if you're going to have cake, you must really have cake. Maybe even a la mode for the evening crowd. However, aside from the personal whipped cream preference, this coffee cake is relatively lowfat with some of its classic butter content being replaced by the mashed banana. It's these everyday sort of cakes I like in my back pocket for cooking and non-cooking days alike. 

(update: for the few of you that asked in the comments. I have really liked the Dr. Sears books. I read The Pregnancy Book and The Vaccine Book by them and have The Baby Book as well but have only read the first two chapters. A friend recommended The Birth Partner and while dense and detailed, it has a lot of information for natural childbirth. I just started Happiest Baby on the Block and while it's a bit corny, I think there are some helpful tidbits.)

Buttermilk Berry Crumb Cake . Sprouted Kitchen

BUTTERMILK BERRY CRUMB CAKE // Serves 8-10

Loosely adapted from 101Cookbooks

For the sake of substitutions, I think you could replace the buttermilk with a non-dairy milk and a tablespoon of lemon juice. As for making it gluten free, I would try a blend of almond meal, oat flour and flaxmeal but I hesitate to given proportions without trying it myself first. I am sure an all purpose GF flour would be worth a shot as well. 

I still don't completely trust the oven at our new place so you'll have to report back if you try this and come up with a different baking time. My oven and thermometer say different things and I don't exactly trust either. Bare with me. One day I will fix its uncertainty or my lack of faith. 

• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 1 1/2 medium ripe bananas, mashed
• 1/4 cup / half stick unsalted butter, melted
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla 
• 1 cup white whole wheat flour
• 1 cup unbleached all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup muscavado sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• scant 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• little grate of fresh nutmeg
• 2 cups mixed berries, chopped small, divided
• / crumble /
• 1/4 cup / half stick unsalted butter, softened
• 1/3 cup old fashioned oats
• 1/2 cup white whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup natural cane sugar
• 1/4 cup muscavado sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• pinch of salt

Buttermilk Berry Crumb Cake . Sprouted Kitchen

Preheat the oven to 325'. Line a springform pan with parchment and grease the bottom and sides. 

In a large mixing bowl, combine the buttermilk, mashed bananas, melted butter, eggs and vanilla. Mix well to combine and set aside. 

In another bowl, mix the white whole wheat flour, all purpose, muscavado, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg and stir to mix well. Add one cup of the berries to the dry mix and toss to coat. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir to combine in as few stirs possible. Being careful not to overmix to keep the cake tender.

In another bowl, make your crumble. Mix the softened butter, oats, flour, cane and muscavado sugars, cinnamon, ginger and salt together and mash everything with the back of a fork to combine. It will be sandy in texture. 

Pour the batter into the pan and sprinkle the remaining berries on top. Distribute the crumble on top of the berries. Put the springform on a baking sheet (just in case it leaks, I prefer to play it safe) and bake on the middle rack for 55-60 minutes until golden on top and you insert a toothpick and it comes out clean. The cake is fairly low in fat, be careful not to overbake and dry it out. 

Buttermilk Berry Crumb Cake . Sprouted Kitchen

AVOCADO TARTINES WITH GRIBICHE EGG SALAD

Avocado Tartine with Girbiche Egg Salad . sprouted kitchen

I know, the avocado toast thing has been played, but this one is my new favorite. Goodies on toast is a timeless food application, I'm sure of it. I was at a baby shower brunch for one of my dearest friends a few weekends ago at a charming restaurant in Los Angeles called Eveleigh. Life is its own sort of wonderful when you see a friend who your soul trusts and adores, growing a person inside them. Baby, your mother has one of the most tender spirits and sweetest hearts and greatest laughs of all time, you're the luckiest. I'm thrilled you'll get to receive her love. So that part is exciting. But the second most exciting was this avocado toast starter that all the ladies at the table talked about after multiple shared courses. It was quite simple - thin crispy pieces of fresh, grainy bread, smeared with avocado, a sprinkle of aleppo pepper, and then a very chunky sauce gribiche was served on the side to top your toast. I get stuck on what to make for the blog and I just listened to the table chatter about the toast and felt like I was doing blog field research - people want a recipe for this toast, and I need to eat this again.

Classically, this sauce is more of an aioli base, where the yolk emulsifies for a more cream sauce consistency than the egg salad disgrace to the French I have here. It is intended to put on potatoes, chicken, fish... Molly writes about it here if you need more persuading. She's one to be trusted. I am an easy sell as eggs, shallots, heavy on the green herbs, and ripe avocado all fall into my favorite ingredients list. I suppose you could manage this on small baguette-size toasts for an appetizer or serve it along side a green salad for a complete meal. Even if you didn't want it on a tartine, the egg salad part would be an easy to pack lunch for work with a bag of crackers. All I know is this combo will be happening here often. 

Avocado Tartine with Girbiche Egg Salad . sprouted kitchen

AVOCADO TARTINES WITH GRIBICHE EGG SALAD // Makes 4

I don't like my egg salads super yolky, so I take the yolk out of 2-3 of the eggs and chop from there. This makes it a little less rich and I prefer it that way, but you can make that call. If it gets chilled over an hour or two, leave the egg salad at room temperature for at least fifteen minutes before serving for the dressing to be the best texture. 

• 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup well chopped mixed herbs: flat leaf parsley, tarragon, thyme, chives, fennel fronds
• 1 small shallot, minced
• 1 tablespoon capers, drained
• 6 hard boiled eggs (see headnote)
• sea salt and pepper to taste
• 4 slices of a grainy country loaf
• 1-2 avocados

Avocado Tartine with Girbiche Egg Salad . sprouted kitchen

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the dijon, vinegar and olive oil. Add the herbs and shallot. Give the capers a rough chop and add them too. Add a hearty pinch of salt and pepper and give it a stir. 

Remove the shell from the eggs and discard any yolks if you so choose. Chop the eggs up and add them to the dressing. Stir to mix. Add salt and pepper to taste. Keep covered in the fridge until ready to use. The egg salad can be made up to a day in advance. 

Toast the slices of bread. Mash the avocados well with a pinch or two of salt. Spread a layer of avo mash on the toasts and top with a few heaping spoonfuls of the egg salad on top. 

Avocado Tartine with Girbiche Egg Salad . sprouted kitchen