sleeper hits

Another weekend, another brunch. Maybe I should change the name of this blog to Brunch Party?

Thankfully, this brunch was more successful, food-wise, than the last one. There was also a bottle of prosecco involved, which makes everything taste better.

Our friend Julie came over to meet Mabel (and see us, of course) so I made a sausage and chard frittata, a pretty winter citrus salad with pomegranate seeds and chive biscuits. Which were not as puffy as I'd like. They were more like chive discs. Tasty, though.

But that's not what I want to tell you about. The surprise hit of the day, at least for me, was something I made totally off the cuff. You know that moment during a dinner party when all of the food you're making is almost ready to serve and you look at everything and you see a hole? There's something missing, something that's not quite right. Maybe it's the Italian in me, but I never feel like I am making enough food. In these situations, you either shrug and serve it all anyway, or you take a minute to think, survey what's in the fridge, and make something on the fly. And sometimes those things become the sleeper hit of the party.

Which is how I made maple Greek yogurt. People, this is nothing more than a hefty dose of maple syrup stirred into Greek yogurt, but wow, is it good. It's so good that I scraped the bowl clean during brunch and then continued to make it for myself every week since. To make it even better, I add a handful of pomegranate seeds. The tart crunch of the fruit is the perfect contrast to the sweet, creamy yogurt.

So, really, THAT is what you need to make, but I'll share the frittata recipe too.

Sausage and chard frittata
This is great for a brunch party because you can serve it hot or at room temperature. We ate the leftovers for lunch the next day.
(Serves 4 to 6)

1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 12 oz. bunch Swiss chard, chopped, stems and center ribs removed
8 oz. spicy Italian sausages, casings removed, sausage broken into small pieces
8 large eggs
1/4 cup milk (2 percent or whole, not skim)
1/2 cup finely grated parmesan (or pecorino)
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Add 1 Tbsp. olive oil to a medium cast iron skillet (or other oven-proof skillet) and heat to medium. Saute the chard until tender, about 10 minutes. Add the sausage and cook until it is cooked through, about 5 to 7 minutes, breaking the pieces up with a large spoon. Remove from the heat.

In a bowl, whisk the eggs and milk together until smooth. Add a pinch of salt and pepper.

Pour the egg mixture over the chard and sausage mixture. Give the egg-chard-sausage mixture a stir to make sure it is well combined. Put the pan in the oven and cook for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the frittata is puffy and browned on top. (You can insert a knife in the center to test for doneness.) Slice and serve!