Artichoke Sausage Frittata from Mill Rose Inn
Just half an hour south of San Francisco in the coastal town of Half Moon Bay, the Mill Rose Inn transports guests to an intimate English country garden by the sea. The inn is nestled on nearly an acre of enchanting gardens that feature hundreds of flowering perennials and more than 200 rose bushes. Planted by the inn’s original owners more than 40 years ago, the gardens dazzle with year-round color.
Nestled amid the profusion of blooms, the Four-Diamond-rated inn was once named the “Most Romantic Inn in Northern California.” With just six rooms, the small country inn exudes romance with Old-World-inspired charm. Designed with a rich tapestry of color and texture, the guest rooms feature European antiques, luxurious linens, fluffy robes, hand-painted fireplaces, and claw foot or whirlpool tubs. Each of the rooms offers garden views.
The same mild coastal climate that allows the inn’s gardens to thrive also produces a rich agricultural bounty. While Half Moon Bay is famous for its pumpkins and annual pumpkin festival each fall, artichokes and other cool weather crops reign in the spring. A little-known bit of history credits Half Moon Bay with introducing artichokes to the rest of the country.
Italian farmers first began growing artichokes in Half Moon Bay in the 1860s. The advent of refrigerated rail cars in the early 20th century allowed farmers to ship crates of the edible thistle across the country, attracting an eager East Coast market. By 1930, Half Moon Bay supplied 95% of America’s artichoke crop. In New York City, however, the importation of artichokes became so profitable that gangsters engineered an artichoke racketeering scheme. To crack down on the mafia, the mayor of New York City temporarily banned artichokes in the city. The artichoke wars drew front-page headlines and propelled the popularity of the vegetable with newspapers and magazines publishing artichoke recipes.
As we head into peak artichoke season, the Mill Rose Inn’s recipe for Artichoke Sausage Frittata is a brilliant way to feature seasonal, local flavors without spending a lot of time on prep. Since it makes use of pre-packaged marinated artichoke hearts (because let’s face it, no one relishes the thought of cleaning and trimming a mound of fresh artichokes), this recipe is delicious without being difficult. It’s also flexible, and easily made low sodium, vegetarian, or gluten-free. Unlike an omelet, a frittata can hold a lot more filling and requires no delicate flipping or folding. The result is an easy low-carb, vegetable-forward dish that’s hearty enough to serve as a one-pan breakfast, but versatile enough to headline a breakfast ensemble that includes fresh fruit and pastries.
Artichoke Sausage Frittata
Courtesy of Mill Rose Inn
Makes 12 servings
Ingredients
- 12 large eggs
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 cup cottage cheese
- ½ cup melted butter
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt (or SPIKE natural seasoning)
- 1 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning or ground black pepper
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 10-ounce package of frozen spinach, thawed and drained
- 1 pound pork or chicken-apple sausage (crumbled, without casing) or 1 red pepper, chopped
- 1 8-ounce jar of marinated artichokes, drained
- ¾ pound fresh button mushrooms, sliced
- 4 small zucchini, shredded
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh basil or 1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 9 cloves minced garlic
Directions
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, cottage cheese, and melted butter. Slowly add the flour, blend until smooth, and set aside.
In a large frying pan with enough olive oil to lightly coat the bottom, sauté the onion until translucent, then add the garlic, sliced mushrooms, crumbled sausage, salt, and pepper and continue to sauté until the sausage is cooked (if using fresh artichokes and fresh spinach, add them at this step). Drain off any liquid or oil and add to the bowl with the egg mixture.
Fold in the marinated artichokes, frozen spinach, shredded zucchini, and basil. Mix all ingredients together and pour into a greased 9” x 13” pan, or any oven-proof baking dish that holds at least 14 cups (a well-seasoned cast-iron pan is a great choice for frittatas, but you may need less baking time).
Top with cheese and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 1 ½ hours, or until a knife inserted near the middle comes out clean.
