Zucchini & Cheddar Frittata

With an excess of vegetables relative to the number of meals we were having at home this week I needed to be using some up. I had bought courgettes with the idea of having pasta but changed my mind and decided a frittata style dish would be better with some salads to add colour.

I roasted a bunch of beetroots on a bed of coarse salt and whole spices to make a sweet earthy intensely hued salad and made a good green salad with oak leaf and cucumber dressed with spiced vinaigrette.

The zucchinis became the centrepiece, using up the last of a piece of Montgomery cheddar from the fridge, the cheese adding an intense richness and a burnish of gold to the finished dish.

Zucchini and Cheddar Frittata

450g/1lb of small zucchini, washed and sliced into rings

1 medium onion, roughly chopped

3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

1 tbspn fresh thyme leaves

4 eggs, beaten with a tablespoon of milk

100g/4oz strong flavoured cheddar, grated

Salt and pepper

2 tbspns olive oil

1 tbspn butter

Melt the butter and oil together in a heavy pan then gently cook the onion and garlic for about 15 minutes till sweet and tinged with gold. Add the zucchini and the thyme, season and cover. Cook over a low heat for 15 minutes till all the vegetables are softened with just a little resistance to a knife point.

Preheat the grill at the highest setting. Stir most of the cheese into the beaten egg then raise the heat and pour over the zucchinis. Cook for a few minutes till the egg begins to set. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top and put the pan under the hot grill to finish.

Serve big slices with some salad and generous pieces of sourdough bread.

Very good for lunch next day.