When Freddie and I went upstate last month, we invited the wonderful Jenny Rosenstrach and her husband Andy over for dinner…
Freddie made breaded shrimp and vegetable linguine, and Jenny brought the salad, and it was such a joy to be around her again!
Blurry photo, taken while laughing
As you may remember, Jenny wrote the Cup of Jo food column for seven years — with absolute bangers like five things to do with corn and tomatoes, a slice-and-bake cookie taste testand the #1 thing she’d tell new parents about family dinner — and she, of course, has written bestselling cookbooks and runs the popular weekly newsletter, Dinner: A Love Story.
This morning, I called her to ask if we could publish a recipe of hers, for old times’ sake — and, always generous, she said of course. So, I chose this delicious Spanish tortilla Zucchini omelette [my mistake, updated!!] that you can have for breakfast, lunch, snacks, or dinner.
Zucchini omelette
by Jenny Rosenstrach
For the frittata:
3 tablespoons olive oil
12 ounces (about 3 small Yukon gold or red potatoes) peeled and chopped into very tiny cubes
kosher salt and freshly ground peppered pepper flakes
1⁄2 small yellow onion
1 large zucchini (12 ounces), shredded and squeezed dry in a kitchen towel
8 eggs, whisked
1⁄2 cup milk
1 cup grated Gruyère (or fontina)
1⁄2 cup grated fresh Parmesan
For the tomato salad:
4 of the meatiest, juiciest tomatoes you can find
sea salt
fresh basil, shredded (for serving)
Heat broiler. Add olive oil to a 9-inch cast iron (or oven-safe) skillet set over medium-high heat. Add potatoes in one layer as much as possible, salt and pepper, and let sit without stirring. After 3 minutes of sizzling, toss, scraping from the bottom so you don’t lose the browning.
Once potatoes are golden and brown on most sides (about 6 minutes total), stir in red pepper flakes and onions and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Add the zucchini and sauté, another 3 minutes. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, Gruyère (or fontina), and 1⁄4 cup of Parmesan, then pour the mixture into the pan, stirring a little (or poking through the vegetables) to allow for eggs to seep to the bottom of the pan. Let sit for 4 to 5 minutes until the egg looks cooked around the edges. Sprinkle remaining Parmesan on top then place the skillet under the broiler for about 2 minutes, until eggs are cooked and slightly puffy, and the cheese looks melted. (Keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn’t burn.) Remove and let cool slightly.
Using a rubber spatula, loosen the frittata around the edges of the pan, then slice into wedges and serve.
Serve with thick slices of peak-season tomatoes with really good olive oil and sea salt, sprinkled with basil. A tomato salad in August is going to complement anything. As Julius Roberts says, “just let them do the talking.” Side note: Julius Roberts is so hot, the way he cooks is so hot, my DMs on Instagram are 90% dogs and 10% Julius Roberts.
What are you cooking these days? And if you miss Jenny as much as I do, you can sign up for her Dinner: A Love Story newsletter here. xoxo
P.S. More Jenny posts that we loved:
* the fish sandwich I make once a week
* chicken parm meatballs
* pasta with broccoli pesto
* the simple green salad on my dinner table nine times out of ten
* five rotisserie chicken dinners
* a potato salad trick
* lazy man’s ratatouille
* smashed pea toasts with ricotta
* a crisp for all seasons
* how to get your kids to talk at dinner
* Trader Joe’s knock-offs vs. original brands: which is better?
* vanilla ice cream taste test
* the restaurant surprise I’m still thinking about two decades later
* how to be a good dinner guest: seven rules
