Words by Sinope

Last night's dinner was really good but pretty basic: Thomas Keller's roast chicken recipe, the first roast Chioggia beets from the garden, and a dressing that included sourdough bread, mushrooms, and Trader Joe's dried "golden berry blend." Nothing worth writing down as a recipe, really -- just good food.

I was very happy with today's lunch, though. I had some Yukon gold potatoes, and I wanted to make a lunch with little or no meat. So, I cut the potatoes into thick half-moons and set them boiling. As they cooked, I cut a small head of fennel and a small onion into slices, then sauteed them in olive oil until they were softened and starting to brown. I added in the potatoes and kept sauteeing, deglazing with a little white wine when a brown potato crust started to form on the bottom. In went a large handful of fresh herbs (specifically, the flowering tips of the basil and oregano), coarsely chopped, and four eggs whisked with a goodly splash of milk and generous salt and pepper. I stirred regularly to keep the egg from sticking to the bottom, grating in some aged cheddar as I went, then stopped once it was getting thick and let it cook over low heat for a few minutes. Finally, I tossed it under the broiler for a few more minutes to finish cooking the top, using the time to clean up from cooking.

The result: a really lovely fennel-potato frittata, with enough for four servings at a very reasonable price. Yes, more cheese wouldn't have hurt, nor would a bit more browning on the potato, but the result was simple, balanced, and utterly delicious.

(P.S. I'm not sure whether to call this a frittata, since it has vegetables, or a Spanish tortilla, since it has potatoes, or something else?)