Skidmore graduation weekend is a busy one for all the lodging places in town. We had lots of parents, grandparents, students, siblings and friends staying, all who had to be at SPAC at 10:00 AM for the BIG EVENT. What to do?!?!?
We decided to do a buffet – one that would also work for you when considering breakfast/brunch for a crowd. This was easy to do with minimal cooking and prep time and everyone was happy….even the cooks!
Menu
Carmelized Zucchini Frittata (great because it is just as good when served at
room temperature)
Fresh Fruit Plate with Cantelope, Strawberries and Clementines
Serrano Ham / Nettle Meadow Farm Aged Chevre
Sliced Munster Cheese / Crispy Thick Sliced Bacon
Rock Hill Breads – Raisin, Sliced Batard and Farm Bread
Sauteed Sweet Peppers with Balsamic Vinegar
Campari Tomato and Basil Salad
Assorted Jams from Red Fox Farm (their habanero jelly is fabulous)
Rock Hill Lemon Pistachio Biscotti (always a hit!)
Assorted Juices
Coffee, Tea (normally I would also offer Mimosa and Bloody Mary)
So, in reality, I only cooked the frittata, the peppers and the bacon. I always do bacon in the oven at 350 degrees. I lay it out on parchment paper (saves clean-up), bake it at 350 degrees, draining the fat every few minutes and turning as necessary. It comes out very ungreasy, very crisp and very hard to resist.
The frittata is always the same basic recipe of 1 1/2 egg per person (room temp) beaten with grated pecorano romano cheese (get the good stuff), chopped flat leaf parsley and some freshly ground black pepper. No recipe needed, just use your instincts. You cannot ruin this, I promise. In a sautee pan, sauteed in olive oil your zucchini, cut in 1/2 the long way and sliced. With the burner on medium high, let the zucchini carmelize (or lightly brown), then turn and pour on your egg batter. As the egg batter starts to set, use a spatula to lift the edges and let the raw egg go under by tilting the pan. Continue doing this until all the loose raw egg is underneath and the top is beginning to set. If confident, flip with a spatula. If not, slide onto a plate, invert your sautee pan over the top and turn the plate and pan at the same time so the frittata ends up back in the pan. Return to the heat, let cook through. Slide onto a clean plate and let rest while you get the other “fixings” ready. The beauty of a frittata is that if it breaks, it still comes back together in the end…..so just have fun! And, a frittata will adapt well to anything in the fridge…..just chop up, heat up, add egg batter and enjoy the results.
Buon Apetito!