Busy Times ... Easy Meals ... Frittata for Two

Yeah, so when you have a bazillion plants to set in the ground, a greenhouse that needs to be opened for the gardening season, flats of annuals to seed in, a sunporch to clean up and open for spring and summer lounging, wild turkeys to shoo out of your first outdoor plantings, and all the regular 'stuff', you tend to go for 'easy and fast' when it's dinner time.

Silent Bob and I were fans of asparagus frittata and a big old Caesar salad this evening ... dinner on the table in half an hour. I have a nice chunk of Gouda cheese that I used to make a cheesy drizzling sauce for the frittata. A glass of wine with dinner and we were drowsy from the combination of good food and fresh air exhaustion.

Promise to self: I will plant the rest of those pansies and sweet woodruff AND get to those hanging petunia baskets tomorrow ... zzzzz.

Cheese Sauce

2 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. flour
1 c. milk
dash white pepper
3/4 c. Gouda cheese, cut into small cubes for easy melting.

Make a roux with the butter and flour.

Add the milk and pepper and stir to thicken.

Add the cheese and continue stirring until the cheese melts.

Correct for the sauce consistency by adding more milk, a bit at a time.

Cover, turn off the heat, and set aside.

Asparagus Frittata

8 stalks asparagus

1 tbsp. olive oil

2 tbsp. chopped onion

3 eggs, beaten

salt and black pepper

1/4 c. Parmesan cheese, grated

Snap the ends of 8 stalks of fresh asparagus and chop into 3/4 inch pieces. Blanch in boiling water for about 2 minutes, drain and refresh in cold water for a few minutes. Drain again and set aside.

Saute the onion in the olive oil. While the onion is cooking, beat the eggs and add salt and pepper, and half the Parmesan to the eggs.

Pour the egg mixture over the onions, drop the pieces of blanched asparagus on top, sprinkle the rest of the Parmesan over the top and cook until the lower surface begins to brown.

Run under a broiler until the top is raised and puffy and the eggs are cooked, cheese is melted and surface is golden.

Slide onto a platter, drizzle with some of the cheese sauce, and sprinkle with some smoked paprika.

Serve with extra cheese sauce on the side.

Note: This is an easy brunch dish to make ... eggs are a natural in the morning and frittatas are just jazzed up omelets!