Baked Brie and Tomato Breakfast Strata

With the approach of August we are thinking tomatoes! This is a wonderful and easy breakfast casserole adapted from one from Better Homes and Gardens.

Ingredients
* 2 small zucchini, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch slices (2 cups)
* 6 1/2-inch thick slices crusty sourdough bread
* 8 ounces Brie cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
* 4 Roma or Heirloom tomatoes, cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch slices
* 3 eggs
* 2/3 cup evaporated skim milk
* 1/3 cup finely chopped onion
* 3 tablespoons snipped fresh dill
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/8 teaspoon pepper
* 6 to 8 cherry tomatoes
* Nonstick cooking spray

Directions
Cook zucchini, covered, in a small amount of boiling lightly salted water for 2 to 3 minutes or until just tender. Drain and set aside. Meanwhile, spray a 9'X13" glass baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Arrange bread slices in the prepared baking dish, cutting as necessary to fit. Sprinkle half of the Brie evenly on top. Arrange zucchini and tomatoes on top of bread. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.
In a bowl combine eggs, evaporated skim milk, onion, dill, salt, and pepper. Pour evenly over vegetables and cheese. Lightly press vegetables down with back of spoon to be sure everything is saturated with egg mixture. Cover with plastic wrap; chill for 4 to 24 hours. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Remove plastic wrap from strata; cover with foil. Bake 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 25 to 30 minutes more or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Makes 8 servings.

ITALIAN BRUNCH ASPARAGUS

This is a yummy brunch dish that my niece Nichelle brought to our family Easter brunch.

Ingredients

* 2 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto
* 1 pound of asparagus
* 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons
* Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
* 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
* 1/4 small melon (about 12 ounces) peeled, seeded and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
* 4 ounces fresh mozzarella or burrata cheese, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
* 2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted (see Cook's Note)

Directions

Place an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (using the broiler is fine too). Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the prosciutto in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes until crispy. Drain on paper towels. Chop the prosciutto into 1/4 inch pieces. Place a grill pan over medium-high heat or preheat a gas or charcoal grill. In a medium bowl, toss together the asparagus and 2 teaspoons olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Grill for 2 to 3 minutes each side until crisp-tender. In a medium bowl, combine the lemon juice and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Whisk until combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the melon and mozzarella cheese and toss until all ingredients are combined. Arrange the asparagus on a platter. Using a slotted spoon, spoon the melon and cheese on top of the asparagus. Drizzle any remaining vinaigrette over the top. Sprinkle the prosciutto and pine nuts on top and serve.

Cook's Note: To toast pine nuts, arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 350 degrees F oven for 8 to 12 minutes until lightly browned.

FRIED GREEN TOMATO BREAKFAST WRAP

It's been a cooler then usual summer here in Healdsburg and the tomatoes have been taking their time to ripen on the vine. So, we have been enjoying them green in two great recipes. There have been so many beautiful green tomatoes and there is nothing that says summer to me more than fried green tomatoes. Both combine great summer flavors.
(makes 2 healthy sized wraps)

1/2 cup flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne
2 organic eggs beaten
1/2 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1 large heirloom green tomato sliced, fried and then cut in half
Fresh smoked Mozzarella sliced
1/4 cayenne pepper
2 large sun dried tomato or spinach or other wraps
4 slices of thick cut bacon cooked (We used black pig bacon from Sonoma County)

Fry the bacon. While it's cooking get three bowls and put the bread crumbs in one, eggs in another and flour, cayenne and salt in the third. Take a tomato slice and dip in the flour mixture. Then dip it in the egg and dip in the breadcrumbs. Fry on medium heat in the bacon grease until browned on both sides and cooked through.
Scramble the eggs with 1/4 tsp of cayenne and salt to taste. To layer the wrap put two halves of the fried green tomato on the bottom, then slices of fresh smoked mozzarella, half of the scrambled eggs and the bacon on top. Tuck two sides of the wrap in and roll. Slice on the diagonal.

LUCY'S FRIED GREEN TOMATO SAUSAGE BREAKFAST PIE

Serves 12

1 9″ pie crust (recipe below)
1 lb breakfast sausage, chorizo or bacon
6-12 cubed Green Tomatoes
2 cups sliced mushrooms, any kind
1 medium onion, diced
3 T flour
1.5 cups grated jalapeno or cheddar cheese

Pie Crust (double it and freeze half for later …)
1.5 cups flour
1 T sugar
0.5 tsp salt
0.5 cup frozen unsalted butter (1 stick)
3 T cold water

Mix dry ingredients
Grate butter with a cheese-grater (refrigerator-cold works too, but frozen butter results in flakier crust) Gently mix butter into flour with cold spoon. Add cold water and gently roll into a ball and flatten. You can chill for 30 min at this point, or just roll out. Place in pie-plate and pre-bake at 350^F for 20 min [Cover with foil and weigh down with dried rice, beans or pie-weights].

Make Pie Filling
Brown sausage (cook completely) and set aside. Saute onions in 1-2T remaining sausage grease. Add mushrooms and cook down, set aside. Cook tomatoes and let some of the water evaporate. Add the flour to thicken the tomato juice, then add the mushrooms, onion, and sausage together. Put the sausage-tomato-mushroom filling into the pre-baked pie-crust and cover with cheese (or put half the cheese into the hot pie crust, layer on the filling, and add more cheese to the top).

Bake at 400F for 20 minutes
Eat hot, or freeze for later.

SPRING FIDDLEHEAD EGGS BENEDICT SCRAMBLE

It’s that time of year to start harvesting Mother Nature’s wild garden. What makes spring so exciting, aside from the fact that it’s a preview to the summer growing season, is that the available wild edibles are bountiful, tender and light in flavor and texture. With Easter just a week away, our farm fresh eggs at the inn and the wonderful seasonal greens we wanted to give you a recipe that combines all the best spring. This recipe serves six.

INGREDIENTS:
12 fiddleheads, cleaned, trimmed and cut into small pieces
12 stocks of asparagus tops cut into small pieces
3 tablespoons butter
12 large eggs
6 English muffins, split12 thin slices chopped ham or bacon

***Hollandaise***
6 large egg yolks
6 tablespoons water
1/2 cup butter, cubed
4 teaspoons lemon juice
2 pinches each salt and freshly ground pepper

PREPARATION: In a medium saucepan, steam fiddleheads and asparagus over boiling water until bright green and crisp tender, about 5 minutes. Drain. Hollandaise: In bowl set over saucepan of barely simmering water whisk egg yolks and water until opaque and thick enough to coat back of spoon, about 2 to 4 minutes. Whisk in butter, a few cubes at a time, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Keep warm. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, melt 3 tablespoons butter. Add bacon or ham, fiddleheads and asparagus and lightly sauté while beating eggs in bowl. Slide eggs into skillet and scramble to desired consistency Meanwhile, toast English muffins. Top each with scrambled egg mixture Spoon sauce over egg scramble.

Healthy Potato, Greens and Cheddar Frittata

Prep Time: 10 Minutes ~ Cook Time: 20 Minutes ~ Servings: 6

This is a wonderful, healthy and tasty frittata made with potatoes, spinach, garlic, green onions, and cheese. It's delicious, health. At this time of year we like to save our calories for Halloween candy - chocolate that is. You can use Canadian bacon and egg whites for an even lower calorie version that loses only a little of its richness.

INGREDIENTS
1.5 tablespoons olive oil
6 small red potatoes, cubed
1 cup torn fresh spinach, kale or mustard
2 large sweet onions, sliced
4 teaspoon crushed garlic
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled (optional)
salt and pepper to taste
8 eggs
1/3 cup milk
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 F. In an ovenproof skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion slices, potato, salt and peeper. Cook about 10 minutes, until potatoes are tender but firm. Sprinkle with vinegar and cook 1 minute longer. Mix in greens, bacon and garlic. In a medium bowl, beat together eggs and milk. Pour into the skillet over the vegetables. Cook over medium heat until the mixture begins to set, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle with Cheddar cheese. Place the skillet in the oven and bake for 15 minutes, or until set. Let stand 5 minutes and invert onto platter. Cut into wedges to serve.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION PER SERVING
Calories: 281 ~ Total Fat: 13.1g ~ Cholesterol: 222mg ~ Sodium: 214mg ~ Total Carbs: 28.7g ~ Dietary Fiber: 2.7g ~ Protein: 12.5g