Green Tomato and Leek Frittata

This is the first summer that I've had a farm share, and let me tell you.  I cannot use up an entire box in one week.  It can't be done.  Not with just the two of us, not with the best of intentions, and not without being like those people on the annoying fiber commercials eating stalks of raw broccoli while walking on the treadmill and rolling our eyes about how we're constantly having to eat vegetables just to get all the fiber in that one little pill.  Even when we should be working out!

And the worst offender?  Green tomatoes.  Don't get me wrong, I love green tomatoes.  But we're getting them every time.  Even when we think we're due for red, they always come in green.  The main problem with green tomatoes is that you can't just slather a good coating of pesto on them and call it a day.  Or drizzle over olive oil and a few leaves of basil.  You have to cook them.  I mean, you have to.  Green tomatoes are just red tomatoes, but nowhere near ripe.  So they're tart and piquant and delicious, but only after you add heat.

But they're also good news if you're growing your own tomatoes, which always seem to come in abundance.  And maybe you're worried that you won't be able to pawn them off on friends fast enough?  Or that you'll grow weary of pesto and caprese and tomato jam?  At least green tomatoes give you the option of picking a few early and getting started on your summertime tomato party before it get overwhelming.  Which is why I have a handful of green tomato recipes for you, as well as three more of those things waiting in the refrigerator.

This one is perhaps obvious, in as much as a frittata is always an obvious way to get rid of things that need to be gotten rid of.  This one combines green tomatoes, leeks, a snipping of chives and some Parmesan cheese.  All in the name of getting tomato season off to a nice, early start.

Green Tomato and Leek Frittata
Adapted from The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook

Olive oil for the pan
3 large leeks, trimmed of the green part, washed, and thinly sliced
3 medium green tomatoes, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh pepper
4 large eggs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
2 large egg whites

Heat your oil in a large, ovenproof sauté pan over a medium flame.  Add the leeks and cook until they're soft and golden, about 7 minutes.  Add the tomatoes and season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and half of the pepper.  Cook until the tomatoes are tender, about 3 minutes more. Set aside for a moment to cool.

At this point, preheat your broiler.  Beat the 4 large eggs lightly with a fork in a large bowl, then add the leek and tomato mixture to the eggs.  Add the rest of the salt and pepper, the cheese and the basil.  Stir gently to combine the ingredients.

In another bowl, whip the egg white until stiff but not dry and then fold the white, a 1/4 at a time, into the vegetable mixture.

Return the sauté pan to medium heat and add in a bit more oil to coat the bottom of the pan.  When the oil is warm, pour in the egg mixture, reduce the heat to low, cover, and let cook for about 6 minutes.  The frittata should start to thicken, but still be a bit runny in the center.

Uncover the frittata and transfer the pan to the broiler.  Depending on the heat of your broiler, broil for anywhere from 2-4 minutes, until the frittata is set but not overly browned.  Remove from the broiler, cut into slices and serve either hot or at room temperature.