So, last night I kept tossing and turning in bed and was laying there wide awake at 12:30 am when I decided to just get up and do something productive. I have vegetables galore in my fridge waiting to be prepared into some delicious dish before their demise and what better way to tire myself out. Also, my grandmother has been sick and unable to cook for herself and my grandfather so I decided to make something I could easily transport to the store and send with my mother for them.

You can prepare this fritatta using almost any vegetables you have on hand, these just happen to be the ones that needed the most attention in my fridge.

7 eggs
1/4 cup milk
2 medium red potatoes, washed & diced
3 small summer squash, washed, quartered & sliced
1 large bunch greens, washed, and chopped (I used beet greens, but other choices could be kale, Swiss chard, or spinach)
1 cup sharp cheese (Such as Asiago or Toma Celena)
Olive oil
Tuscan Sea Salt or salt and pepper
chopped chives, or parsley, or scallions

In a large cast iron skillet heat olive oil until very hot. Add the diced potatoes and brown for about 10 minutes, stirring every few minutes. Add summer squash and saute uncovered for about 5 minutes. Spread the potato/squash mixture over the bottom of the pan evenly and place greens on top. Cover and cook approximately 10 minutes. Uncover, and stir vegetables together and continue cooking until greens are tender and liquid has evaporated. Season with salt and pepper. In a large bowl beat eggs, milk, herbs, a pinch of salt, and the cheese together until combined. With the heat on high, pour the egg mixture over the vegetable mixture in the cast iron pan. If you don't have a cast iron pan you can just transfer the vegetables to a glass baking dish, pour egg mixture over, and bake at 350 for about 45 minutes. If you are using the cast iron pan, continue to cook the fritatta on medium-high heat until you can easily pull the side of the fritatta away from the pan, about 15 minutes. Broil on high for about 10 minutes until browned and bubbly. Enjoy!

Most people think of kale as a garnish on their plate when eating out, as I did up until a few years ago. Kale is really one of those vegetables we all should include in our diets due to its phytonutrient load and high levels of vitamins K, A, and C. It is a member of the brassica family of vegetables which also includes broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, and collards. I have found that many people just don't know what to do with or how to use kale so here's one yummy recipe for including it in the meal plan. This one passed my 11 year old test and my picky husband test!

I recipe pizza dough or frozen pizza dough (thawed and brought to room temperature)
1 bunch kale
2 cups favorite cheese, shredded (mozzarella, jack, cheddar)
cooked sausage or pepperoni (optional)
salt
garlic
olive oil
tomato sauce (for dipping)

Wash and chop kale into bite sized pieces by piling up the leaves together, cutting along either side of the stem making two halves and removing the stem. Make on pile out of the two and chop into small pieces. Chop or press 2-3 large cloves of garlic. In a large skillet heat olive oil and add garlic, quickly stir frying for less than a minute, then add the chopped kale. Stir kale and garlic together until kale wilts then reduce heat slightly and cover pan to let the mixture cook for about 5 minutes. Sprinkle flour on a board and stretch the dough into a long narrow oval. Spread one cup of cheese over the dough. After the kale cooks season it with salt and pepper and place on top of the cheese on dough. Add sausage or pepperoni, if desired. Cover kale mixture with remaining cheese. Bring long sides of dough together, pinch, fold over and pinch again. Repeat this process until the dough is all sealed. Place Stromboli onto a baking sheet (preferably with sides) placing the seam side down. Bake @ 400 degrees until browned, about 30 minutes. Heat tomato sauce for dipping if desired.