Asparagus, Bacon & Scallion Frittata

Serves 6
Total price: NY $10.52 (with extra bacon and cheese)
Price per serving: NY $1.75


“Recessionipes Entertains: It’s a Pity Party! Part 3”
(Click here if you missed parts 1 or 2.)*

I always crave asparagus at this time of year, when it starts to enter its peak season as Spring just finally emerges. Asparagus, bacon and swiss is a classic combination, and eggs of course are a great cheap source of protein. If you feel like splurging a little, this dish is delicious with gruyere. Great dish for either brunch or a quick, light dinner with a salad.

If you’re serving this to guests, you can prepare slightly ahead and leave it in a 200 degree oven to stay warm.


Ingredients

• 10 oz asparagus (NY $1.99)
• 1 bunch scallions (NY $0.75)
• 4 pieces bacon (NY $3.19 for 8 oz)**
• 6 large eggs (NY $1.09 for 1/2 dozen)
• ½ cup swiss cheese, grated (NY $3.50 for 7.oz)
• Salt (staple)
• Pepper (staple)

Directions
Preheat broiler

Snap off the white-ish woody roots of the asparagus, then slice into 1/3 inch pieces. Thinly slice scallions, the white and light to medium green parts only.** Slice bacon into ¼ inch think slices.

Crack eggs into a bowl, and whisk together with grated cheese, several dashes salt, and a few grinds of black pepper.

Saute bacon in a skillet over medium high heat, until golden brown, approx. 3 minutes.

Add scallions and sauté briefly, approx. 1 minute.

Add asparagus and continue cooking until warmed and slightly browned but still crisp.

Spread the mixture evenly in the skillet, reduce heat to low, and pour egg mixture over. As eggs cook, run a spatula around the sides of the pan to allow the uncooked eggs to flow down the sides. Continue until most of the egg mixture has cooked.

Set the top either by putting under the broiler, approx 1 minute, or with a crème brulee torch.

Inspired by a Bon Appetit May 1999 recipe (But really? It’s a frittata.)

* Thanks for all the good wishes for Blondie; she appreciates them! I am happy to report that she is staying strong, making progress in negotiating a severance package, keeping hope alive, and busily planning her "The Emancipation of Blondie" potluck blowout.
**For tips on storing bacon, see this post.
*** Many scallion recipes say to only use the white parts, and want you to toss the rest. While its true that the very dark parts near the tips are very fibrous and not particularly tasty, we’ve been using up through the medium green parts these days. Its all edible, and tossing produce just seems wasteful.




Nutrition Facts
Approximate values per serving


Calories 157.0	Vitamin B-12 12.6 %	Manganese 7.0 %
Fat 10.2 g	Vitamin B-6 7.3 %	Niacin 4.2 %
Cholesterol 226.2 mg	Vitamin C 16.3 %	Phosphorus 19.7 %
Sodium 242.4 mg	Vitamin D 7.7 %	Riboflavin 21.6 %
Potassium 258.0 mg	Vitamin E 5.9 %	Selenium 26.6 %
Total Carbohydrate 4.7 g	Calcium 16.0 %	Thiamin 7.9 %
Fiber 1.4 g	Copper 4.6 %	Zinc 9.1 %
Sugars 0.8 g	Folate 20.0 %
Protein 11.9 g	Iron 8.5 %
Vitamin A 18.0 %	Magnesium 5.4 %