A Recipe Signed, Sealed, Delivered

It's been about two weeks since my niece sent me an email asking for some of my old recipes. She's a college student here in town, but she's doing a semester abroad in Uruguay. When she's in town, here at the university, we have a standing date on Tuesday nights when she comes over for dinner, sometimes bringing a friend.

We catch up over dinner talking about her life as a university student, her classes, her quirky professors, her political activism.  I sigh to myself...how time has passed. I allow myself to imagine our son at the table with us too. At the end of the evening, we load Natalie down with her uncle's homemade bread and enough leftover meals to last several days.

When she asked me for a certain recipe recently, or even any of the things she's eaten here, there wasn't an obvious answer.  I needed to know what was available or seasonal. Cooking is about looking around to see what inspires you and it became difficult to narrow down my choices without imagining what she might find in what is currently the fall in Uruguay. And then there's the cooking paraphernalia that she may or may not have, not to mention the small amount of time she might have for cooking.

I settled on this recipe for huevo con calabacitas, a kind of Mexican style frittata.  It's easy, the ingredients are accessible, and it's what Natalie is hoping to make for herself.

Huevos con Calabacita a la Florentina

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Recipe Type: Appetiser, Entree

Author: Gilda Valdez Carbonaro

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 20 mins

Total time: 35 mins

Serves: 8

Ingredients

• Ingredients


• 6 eggs


• 3 regular sized zucchini or 6 baby zucchini (about 400 gr) cut lengthwise and sliced thinly


• 1 1/2 to 2 leeks sliced thinly, using only white and pale green parts


• 1 tablespoon butter


• 2 tablespoons olive oil


• 1/2 jalapeño sliced thinly


• bunch basil leaves sliced in ribbons


• salt and freshly ground pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat broiler.


2. Rinse the sliced leeks in a pot of water and swish around and separate to clean.


3. Drain well and dry well with paper towels.


4. In a large oven proof pan at medium heat melt the butter with the oil.


5. Add the leeks and cook until they soften, for about 4 minutes.


6. Raise the temperature slightly and add the zucchini and cook until slightly brown or golden, for about 5-8 minutes.


7. When everything is just about cooked, add the basil.


8. Arrange everything evenly with a spoon on the pan, then pour the beaten eggs on top.


9. Add salt and pepper.


10. Lower the heat and cook slowly, running a spatula or knife along the sides of the pan to keep it form sticking.


11. When the sides and bottom are set and the center is loose, put the pan under the broiler until the top is firm and golden, about 3 minutes.


12. Cut into wedges and serve warm or at room temperature.