My summer has been slow and drowsy. I’ve been spending long hours in the kitchen, testing early-autumn recipes for the September issue of Dolci Tentazioni and working under the sun on another project I’ll share soon. The small comfort in this baking frenzy is the thought of enjoying these treats a few months from now with a cup of tea on a cool afternoon.
I also had my first real taste of summer holidays. Being self-employed and working from home sounded as if it would allow more freedom and weekend escapes, but I’ve discovered it can be even harder to get away. Truth be told, my last proper trip was in January, when I spent two weeks in London with my dear friends Sarka and Beth gathering new ideas.
This weekend, at last, I went to the seaside. I lay in the sun, swam in the sea and felt the salty taste of water on my lips. It’s nothing extraordinary—July sees half of Italy pile into cars between Friday and Sunday to reach the coast—but for me this weekend felt especially precious.
I’m not a frequent beachgoer, though I love the sea and its brackish scent; many of my happiest childhood memories are set on the beach at Castiglione della Pescaia on the Tuscan coast. This was my first long weekend at the shore in three years. Last year, I didn’t sunbathe on the sand until mid-September.
What made this weekend even more special were the friends who joined me: Emiko, back from Australia and embraced with happy tears; Regula, my lovely Miss Foodwise; Karin from Yum and more; and Zita from Zizi’s Adventures. We spent a sunny weekend along the Etruscan Coast, wandering fish markets and enjoying delicious chickpea cakes. I’ll tell you more about those discoveries soon.
Back home, the rhythm returned to lazy afternoons of cicadas and drawn curtains to keep out the heat. In a steamy kitchen with jars of jam simmering on the stove, I made a light lunch to remember the weekend: a tomato frittata, a classic family summer dish we don’t make often but always love.
If the tomatoes are green and fried, all that’s missing is the Whistle Stop Café to make the moment feel like a celebration of friendship.
Fried Green Tomato Frittata
Author: Giulia
Ingredients
- 2 oxheart green tomatoes, unripe
- 3 tablespoons flour
- Peanut oil for frying
- Salt, to taste
- Extra virgin olive oil
- 2 organic free-range eggs
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Basil leaves
- Fresh herbs to decorate (parsley, chives or arugula)
Instructions
- Rinse the tomatoes and slice them about 1 cm thick.
- Place the flour in a bowl and coat each tomato slice, shaking off excess.
- Arrange the floured slices on a board and heat the frying oil in a pan.
- The oil should be hot enough to form a crunchy crust quickly so the tomatoes don’t soak it up. Test by dipping a corner of a slice—if bubbles appear immediately, the oil is ready.
- Fry the slices in batches for about 2–3 minutes per side, until golden and crisp.
- Transfer the fried tomatoes to a dish lined with paper towels to absorb excess oil.
- Season with a pinch of sea salt or salt flakes and taste a warm slice—it’s irresistible.
- Beat the eggs with a pinch of salt and some freshly ground pepper. Tear a few basil leaves and stir them in.
- Drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil into a frying pan, heat it and arrange the tomato slices to cover the bottom.
- Pour the beaten eggs over the tomatoes and gently swirl the pan so the eggs set evenly.
- When the bottom is firm and slightly crisp, flip the frittata using a dish and cook for about one more minute on the other side.
- Slide the frittata onto a plate and serve immediately while still hot.
- Garnish with fresh herbs—parsley, chives or arugula work beautifully.
