Dog Days of Summer Salad, and a Frittata

Tomorrow marks the official start of fall and I for one am thrilled for cool nights, sweaters, foliage and butternut squash season.  While I'm 99% ready for fall, I could stand a few more weeks of endless produce that make summer meal planning a cinch.   Last weekend we scored some of the last zucchini, corn, basil and heirloom tomatoes we could find and tossed them together with some orzo for an easy weekday side dish, and then an amazing frittata. I followed this recipe rather very loosely.

Cast of Characters: (sorry, I forgot a picture) 

1/2 lb of orzo, cooked and drained.

1 medium zucchini, diced

2 ears of corn, cut off the cob

1 red bell pepper, seeded and roughly chopped

3 scallions, chopped

2 cloves of garlic

1 green tomato, chopped

5-6 leaves of basil, chopped finely

Zest and juice from one lemon

4 tbsp of olive oil (I did 3 tbsp of regular extra virgin and 1 tbsp of lemon infused)

Coarse Salt and Pepper

Hot Sauce (I used Cochon's sweet potato habanero sauce) 

1.  Boil water, add salt and cook orzo for 8-10 minutes, drain.  Run the colander under cold water to cool orzo and set aside. 

2.  Meanwhile, heat 2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil in a skillet, add corn, red pepper and garlic to the skillet.  Cook for 4-5 minutes until tender. 

3. Combine zucchini, green tomato and scallions, corn mixture and orzo in a bowl.  Mix in lemon zest and juice, remaining olive oil, hot sauce and basil.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

4.  Put in the fridge to chill and let the flavors get friendly for a few hours.  Enjoy on its own, with a piece of chicken or fish, on top of some romaine, as a side to a burger, or my personal favorite, in a frittata.  

To make a 4 serving frittata: whisk together 4 eggs, chopped basil, salt and pepper.   Add 1 1/2 cup of the orzo mixture. Pour egg/orzo mixture into an oiled oven proof skillet over medium heat on top of the stove.  Allow to set up on the stove for 6-8 minutes (you want the sides to be sticking.)  Put the skillet in the oven at 425 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until firm in the middle.  Cool on stove top for 2-5 minutes, flip the frittata out onto a plate or cooling rack and enjoy.  This was really delicious, like quiche but more moist.  The frittata serves as a perfect breakfast with fruit, or lunch with side salad.  I would make the orzo again just to make the frittata! 

Have a great weekend sweet readers!  It's been a stressful work week and I think I'm on the brink of a cold/flu so I plan on laying low and finishing a phenomenal book.