Summer Squash, Basil and Parmesan Frittata

I was in the market one day and they had a little basket of locally grown summer squash. There were yellow and light green varieties in long and patty pan shapes. Though I wasn't really in the mood to cook squash because the weather was unbearably hot and humid, I couldn't resist picking them up. I was determined not to let them become vegetable drawer soup if you know what I mean, so on the way home I decided they'd be perfect in a frittata. I had some basil in my garden that hadn't yet been attacked by whatever bug had pock marked my sweet potato vines to an almost certain death. I had some garlic and a wedge of parmesan cheese.

I washed and dried the squash before I put it away so when the mood to cook struck, all I had to do was slice the squash, peel and slice a clove of garlic, chop a handful of basil, crack a few eggs and grate a little cheese. It's a supper you can whip up start to finish in 15 minutes and it is heavenly leftover. When you whip open that refrigerator door in a help-I'm-starving-moment and there's leftover frittata to grab, you're in Cooking Thin city!

Tip: I like to use fresh eggs but egg substitute will work just fine.

If the Queen's Coming to Supper: Garnish the frittata with a little fresh chervil and a few edible flowers such as nasturtiums, available in gourmet grocery stores or your backyard garden if you planted any this year. I'm no Gretta green thumb and I do live in Michigan, hardly a gardener's paradise. They're both really easy to grow so pick up a few seed packets and plant them. Mother Nature will do the rest.

Ingredients:

8	egg whites
2	whole eggs
	Coarse salt and cracked black pepper
2	teaspoons of olive oil
3	cloves of garlic, peeled and very thinly sliced
1	pound of summer squash, about two medium squash, thinly sliced
1	cup loosely packed, roughly chopped fresh basil
1/2	ounce of grated Reggiano Parmesan Cheese, about a scant 1/2 cup

	Preheat broiler. Whisk eggs and egg whites together in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
	Place olive oil and garlic in a 10-inch non-stick pan with an oven proof handle. Turn heat to medium and cook until garlic just starts to sizzle. Add the squash and cook, stirring every now and then until the garlic is lightly golden and the squash is cooked through, about 5-6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
	Pour egg mixture and basil into pan and using a heatproof spatula, slowly stir eggs in a figure eight motion until just beginning to set on edges. Continue cooking, occasionally sliding spatula around edges of pan to let raw egg flow underneath, until frittata is set on bottom but not all the way on top, 4 to 5 minutes.
	Scatter parmesan cheese over frittata and place pan directly under broiler just until top is golden brown and set and cheese has melted, about 1-2 minutes. Let frittata stand 5 to 10 minutes. To serve, slide frittata onto a serving platter and cut into wedges. Frittata may also be cooled to room temperature, then cut and served.

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