Marching into 2017 has been all about staying warm. I keep reading article headlines that give advice to people on how to stay happy and positive during these difficult, cold, and dreary winter months. Being that I love winter, and up here it is a pretty long one, I’m grateful that I have all positive thoughts about white snow, winter hikes, and warm cracking fires.
What I’ve noticed living in this New England climate, is that many people save up winter projects to keep them busy over these months of freezing temperatures that sometimes don’t make it out of the teens for a week at a time (we just had one of those).
Our friends up the road save projects like quilting and sewing for activities to do around the kitchen table in front of a warm fire. Our other friend picks up woodworking and clock repairing projects to do as a hobby…and another refinishes the planks for his wooden dingy used to get back and forth from his sail boat.
I decided to follow suit. Between getting outdoors for some pretty frigid winter walks, I’ve compiled a variety of projects and activities to happily carry me through these winter months. We gave each other piles of books this holiday. Post dinner time can find us snuggled under blankets around the fireplace. Patrick is deep into The Riyria Revelations by Michael J. Sullivan. Dreaming of traveling to Scotland occupies my evenings as I am enjoying all the rich details and plot developments of the Outlander series written by Diana Gabaldon.
I have Mademoiselle: Coco Chanel and the Pulse of History as well as Lilac Girls written by Martha Hall Kelly. The pile of reading material is pretty tall under those first choices but the list of Golden Globe movies is toggling for attention as well.
I’ve never been one to follow the various award ceremonies like Golden Globes, Academy Awards, and The Oscars. I couldn’t tell you who today’s A-list actors are and which films are winning these top awards but I have always admired people who were in-the-know about all of these
- Ingredients:
- 8 eggs
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
- 6 oz. goat's milk cheese, cut into ¼-inch rounds
- 1 tsp. plus 2 Tbs. olive oil
- ½ lb. mild Italian sausage, casings removed
- ¾ lb. assorted wild mushrooms, cleaned, trimmed and cut into 1- to 2-inch pieces
- 1 bunch Swiss chard, about ¾ lb., stems removed and leaves cut into 1-inch strips
- Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
- In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, salt and pepper. Set aside.
- In the deep half of a frittata pan (I use a black cast iron pan) over medium-high heat, warm 1 tsp. of the olive oil. Add the sausage and cook, crumbling with a wooden spoon, until well browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the sausage on paper towels, then transfer to another bowl.
- In the same pan over medium-high heat, warm 1 Tbs. of the olive oil. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to the bowl with the sausage.
- In the same pan over medium heat, warm 1 tsp. of the olive oil. Add half of the chard and cook, stirring occasionally, until wilted, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a bowl. Repeat with 1 tsp. of the olive oil and the remaining chard.
- Return the rest of chard, the sausage and the mushrooms to the same cast iron pan and heat over medium heat for 1 minute. Add the egg mixture and cook, using a rubber spatula to lift the cooked edges and allow the uncooked eggs to flow underneath, about 2 minutes. Add the goat cheese circles and let melt into the frittata. Continue cooking until the eggs begin to set, 4 to 6 minutes more. Place entire pan directly into the oven. Continue cooking for 15 to 20 minutes until the frittata doesn't jiggle too much when shaken. It will continue to firm up after removing from the oven.
- Cut into slices and serve directly from cast iron skillet.