Thank You Mama Frittata: Fennel Bulb, Ham, Turnips, and Spring Onions

My gorgeous mama, holly and my little guy on “Green Day” an imaginary holiday she planned for him.

So my mama and I have this totally crazy, really special, absolutely maddening-mother-daughter-best friend relationship where she takes care of me and thinks of me basically every moment of her life, and when I try to do the same she’s all like “that’s not how you do it.” It drives me totally insane, but deep down, the truth is that I know she’s right like 96% of the time. I don’t know how to do it.

But that’s kind of how it’s supposed to be, right? Mamas make sure we leave for college knowing how to wash laundry, and make beds, and then we get married and they make sure we look our absolute most gorgeous, plus make sure we have hand-calligraphied invitations that they spend hours and hours and hours on (did I mention my mama is an award-winning artist and Martha Stewart Magazine featured calligrapher? no? oh…)

When we have children they dredge up all the tips and tricks and memories of how to care for babies from when we were children, and EVEN if pediatricians have changed their minds like ZILLIONS of times about what is right, or healthy, or appropriate since we were little, our mamas somehow STILL know how to do it better than we do.

Or, at least, my mama does.

My mama knows how to make the most delicious comforting food, knows how to root basically ANY and ALL herbs so that you can plant them, knows how to fix and refinish antique furniture so it looks better than when it was first built, can arrange flowers so well that florists call HER for advice, can needlepoint, embroider, smock, or knit your mama under the table, AND can almost ALWAYS get my kid to eat supper or stop crying after I’ve tried everything and am about to have a screaming fit meltdown. That doesn’t even mention all her accomplishments as an honest-to-goodness artist (portraits in oil and pastel, perfect landscapes of rural barns, calligraphy sought-after by effing big name FASHION DESIGNERS for their big-A$# dinner parties, and life-like and life-sized insects created out of ONLY natural materials to name a few).

Basically, she’s supermama in real life. On top of all that, (she’s crazy talented, she’s an amazing care giver, she’s beautiful) my mama has fought lung cancer and WON, plus every doctor she’s met has said something to her like “gee whiz, lady,  you’re basically the toughest woman I’ve ever met,” for finishing impossibly difficult medications and treatments and pushing through debilitating recovery times and sickness.

I only hope that when tested (because we’re all tested at some point) I’ll be as strong as she is. And I can only hope that one day my latent creativity that she just must have passed on to me will start budding….

AND I can only hope that when I look back on this time living in the same house (y’all. I’m living in my childhood bedroom.) with my own husband and baby while she recovers from cancer and we renovate a tiny cabin, while I potty train my two year old and try to figure out what it is I’m supposed to be doing with the rest of my life, while she tries to gain some sense of normalcy with three extra people fluttering around her, that I’ll be able to say I acted as full of gratitude, deep respect, and love for all she’s done for me as I truly am. Because, y’all. She’s done so much.

As it stands right now, I don’t think I’m doing so hot, but there’s always tomorrow.

To that end, though this is NOT sufficient, I should probably make her more breakfasts and brunches like this one. A spring root vegetable and ham frittata. It’s just right for your mother’s day brunch or any morning you want to tell your mama she’s tops.

I know that not everyone has a mama like mine, but if it isn’t true for you, then YOU’RE probably the supermama or super lady. You probably overcame crazy obstacles and contentiousness to become a strong, self-sufficient, fun, gal who takes care of other people around you and warms them with your generosity and kindness. Am I Right? If that’s the case, then YOU deserve this frittata ALL to yourself.

It’s an easy-peasy recipe and has tons of flavor layering fennel bulbs with spring onions, turnips, and ham. Plus, if you are making for your mom, it’s a really nice backdrop for saying all those thank yous you owe her and asking all those important questions you’ve always wondered about her life and her passions and her hairstyles when she was in eighth grade.   Let me know what you think. (and ps: if you want to make it vegetarian, just leave out the ham!)

Fritata

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

40 mins

 

Author: Biz Harris

Serves: 6

What You Need

• 1 Teaspoons Bacon grease (divided) or oil if you a vegetarian.
• 12 Egg Whites (or 6-7 whole eggs)
• 1 Fennel Bulb, washed and sliced
• Fennel bulb greens, cut
• 2 turnip roots, sliced into thin rounds
• 2 spring onions, greens and whites sliced
• ¼ Cup of diced ham (unless you're a vegetarian. then leave this part out!)
• Salt, pepper to taste
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

What to Do

1. Preheat your oven to 350.
2. Put 1 teaspoon of the bacon grease in a cast iron skillet.
3. Sautee' the fennel and onions until soft, season them with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.
4. Add in the turnip roots and let brown in the pan.
5. You can either add the ham in and then pour the eggs over everything OR you can take the veggies out and then pour the eggs in and place the ham and veggies in on TOP of the eggs. (option 2 creates a more attractive fritatta)
6. On the stovetop, cook on medium heat until the eggs begin to set. (they stop being translucent)
7. Put the skillet into the oven for 5-10 minutes until the eggs are fully cooked.
8. Slice and serve.
9. Also, this will keep for a day or so once it's been cooked and tastes very good reheated or at room temperature.

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