I had some fresh, very flavourful cherry tomatoes from my friend’s mom’s garden so I wanted to put them in a dish that would let them shine. Mrs. Gill is one of the best cooks I have ever met so I was really excited to see her new garden and to get to try some of the fruits of her labour. For me, something homegrown, just like something homemade, has a really special quality to it that the stuff in stores just can’t compete with. Frittatas, the fancy word for egg pie or crustless quiche, are great for using up leftover odds and ends as well as showcasing an ingredient. They are very filling, suitable for any time of day from brunch to dinner and are easily portable for lunch the next day. The eggs provide a high amount of easily digestible and usable protein and their mild flavour is a good carrier for sweet fresh tomatoes, earthy sun dried tomatoes and rich artichoke hearts.
The better quality the egg, the more nutrients on your plate. Eggs from smaller farms where hens were given sunlight and time outside to peck around (“pastured free range” versus hens kept inside in tight cages) are higher in many important nutrients from omega-3s to vitamin E to beta carotene. Also, they are lower in saturated fat and cholesterol- both are necessary but ideal only in smaller quantities. 
Sun dried tomatoes enhance the tomato effect and offer a deeper taste in contrast to the fresh ones. Artichoke hearts have a buttery, avocado-like texture and a subtle flavour that goes really well with tomatoes. Marinated artichoke hearts in jars, not cans, are the best when it comes to convenience, they come immersed in oil and herbs and are ready to eat as they are. For both the sun dried tomatoes and artichokes I took just the vegetables, leaving the oil in the jars, to keep the dish light, but just enough sticks to them for optimal flavour.
Placing the cherry tomatoes on top really shows them off in a rustic way, reminiscent of something you would find in a country kitchen.
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Serves: Serves 4
INGREDIENTS:
- 8 eggs
- 1½ cup cherry tomatoes, halved lengthwise
- 1 cup marinated jarred artichoke hearts, halved (1 170 ml jar)
- ½ cup sun dried tomatoes, sliced thinly
- ½ cup unsweetened plain almond milk
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
DIRECTIONS:
- Preheat oven to 400°. Whisk the eggs, almond milk, Italian seasoning and salt until the yolks are broken up and the mixture is well blended. Fold in the sun dried tomatoes and artichokes. Use the olive oil to grease the inside of a pie dish then pour the egg mixture in and shift it around until the artichokes and sun dried tomatoes are evenly spaced. Place the cherry tomato halves all around the top, cut side up. Bake for 40 minutes, until eggs are fully set and the top is starting to brown. Leftovers can be left in the fridge for a few days.
How do you recommend reheating this dish?
A microwave is fastest and most convenient, but if I’m at home I like to preheat the oven to 400° then pop it in for around 10 minutes to heat up, this keeps the top nice and crisp and I think it’s better to not use a microwave when possible :).