Chef Brad Farmerie has good taste in reading material. “One way that my wife said she could tell I was turning into a running geek is when I’d go on business trips she’d always find Runner’s World in my carry-on,” he says. “She’s pretty pretty excited that I got the bug.”
Farmerie’s wife is who inspired him to take up running earlier this year. “As all chefs do, I work like a dog,” he says. “It was nice to block out these chunks where we could just be alone together.”
Now, he runs four times each week: a long run of 20 to 25 kilometres, plus three shorter runs of 9 to 12 kilometres. He’ll whip up this Squash and Three Cheese Frittata before heading out on his big run, and it’ll be cooled and ready for him to eat when he gets home.
It’s versatile – you can swap out the cheeses and veggies depending on what you have on hand – but not exactly super-quick for mere mortals to prepare (lots of chopping!). However, you can do the first two steps in advance, putting the ingredients in the fridge overnight, which breaks up all the work. Or, you could make the whole thing in advance, since it keeps well in the fridge and is easy to reheat. “Serve this with salad and a dollop of sriracha mayonnaise (mix the two to your heat capacity) and you have yourself a tasty post-run treat,” he says.
Squash and Three Cheese Frittata
Recipe by Chef Brad Farmerie
STEP 1
2 cups diced fennel bulb (roughly 1 head)
3 cups diced Spanish onion (about 1 large onion)
2 cups sliced leeks (about 2 leeks)
2 teaspoons fresh thyme, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons salt
Ground black pepper
1. Heat the olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat, then add the ingredients, stirring constantly.
2. Once the veggies start to soften, reduce heat to low and cook, stirring, until the veggies are soft and translucent (about 20 minutes).
3. Remove the veggies and let sit a room temperature.
STEP 2
4 medium zucchini, quartered lengthwise and then sliced into ¼ inch slices
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 ½ teaspoon salt
1. Heat a sauté pan on medium-high heat. Add the olive oil, then the zucchini, and stir. Then add the salt and continue to sauté until they are lightly golden-brown and cooked through (about 15 minutes).
2. Remove and leave at room temperature.
STEP 3
12 eggs
1 teaspoon mild curry powder or smoked paprika
½ cup chiffonade parsley
1/3 cup chiffonade coriander
1/3 cup finely cut chives
2 Tablespoons chopped chervil
2 cups diced feta
1 cup grated parmesan
1 ½ cup grated aged cheddar
Cooked mixture from step 1
Cooked mixture from step 2
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
1. Combine the eggs and curry spice in a mixing bowl and whisk until frothy.
2. Add everything else except the olive oil and briskly stir until well-incorporated.
3. Preheat an oven to 230 degrees.
4. Heat the olive oil in an 11-inch oven-safe sauté pan on medium-high heat.
5. Add half the mixture to the pan and give a couple quick stirs immediately – you don’t want all the veggies to sink. Add the rest of the mix and stir again.
6. Keep the pan on the burner without stirring for about three minutes, then place the pan in the oven until cooked through and golden brown on the top (about 20 minutes)
7. Let cool for 2 minutes, then loosen it from the pan by tapping on the side with a wooden spoon.
8. Place a cutting board on top of the pan and quickly invert them both – the frittata should slide out onto the cutting board. (Editor’s note: This didn’t work for me, but I have a misshapen pan. It tasted fine straight from the pan.) Let cool, then slice and serve. Serves 8.
