Join me on GHL Mondays + Fridays Tune-in Create TV 8AM + 2PM

as seen on George Hirsch Lifestyle TV series — as seen on *George Hirsch Lifestyle* TV series

Looking for an easy one-pot meal? The frittata can be more than just breakfast, including brunch and lunch. Fill it with fresh veggies and good eggs like my recipe below and you'll have a powerful one-pan, moveable feast. A perfect take along for a picnic or al fresco meal.

A frittata is also the perfect way to repurpose leftovers like roasted potatoes; add fresh herbs for added flavor like spring chives or thyme.

Fresh Herb Frittata

Makes six servings

chefgeorgehirsch.com | George Hirsch Lifestyle

1 Tablespoon olive oil

10 eggs, well beaten

2 Tablespoons water, optional

1/4 cup pancetta

4-6 each baby Yukon potatoes

1 shallot or 1 Tablespoon sweet onion

1 green onion

1 Tablespoon fresh basil, chopped

1/2 cup fresh mozzarella, sliced into small pieces

1/4 teaspoon hot sauce

fresh ground black pepper

Pre heat a large oven proof sauté pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Beat eggs with water, basil, parmesan cheese, hot sauce, nutmeg, and pepper.

Add olive oil to sauté pan, cook pancetta until slightly tender. Add shallot and potatoes cook until potatoes are tender.

Add pepper and hot sauce to eggs. Pour eggs over the filling and place the pan over medium heat. Stir egg mixture 2-3 times or just enough to mix eggs and potatoes. When the eggs begin to set, lower the heat and cook on medium heat for 3-4 minutes, top with fresh mozzarella and green onion.

Cover or place pan in oven for additional 1-2 minutes or until firm yet moist.

Top with fresh basil. Serve warm or room temperature.

sold out

13 EPISODES on 4 HD-DVD Disk Set, season one

$19.95

Add to Cart

The Bottom Line: Poultry and eggs pasture raised taste better than those raised in confinement.

Pastured poultry (not referring to pasteurization process, that's for foods such as milk, cheese and beer) is a technique used for raising chickens or other poultry right on green pastures. The birds are always kept on fresh pasture by systematically moving them around every few days, which allows the birds to be raised in a cleaner, healthier environment. And fed the old fashioned way- on fresh green pasture grass and with wholesome grain.

'Pastured living' is not only good for the chickens- but chickens managed correctly, are good for the pasture. Hens are brillant at finding and eating small seeds, insects, and tender grass and leaves. Their manure leaves behind a healthy shot of nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus. The trick is to move the hens before the pasture has been pecked and scratched to death.

Although there is nothing new here, since farmers have been raising poultry on pastures for centuries in this manner. In fact, most domesticated poultry was raised outdoors until the 1950s when large confinement egg and poultry operations found they could mass produce product confined in restricted conditions. Even though the majority of poultry is now produced in high-density factory farms, the good news is a rising number of growers have chosen to raise their poultry in outdoor free range pastures instead of indoor confinement to produce a high quality, farm-fresh, all-natural product. Which brings us back to quality, quality, quality. That's good stuff.

The pastured poultry movement has found great support among consumers, chefs and restaurateurs because of the high quality and unsurpassed flavor of such products. And so, local farmers continue to see growth with demand for premium-priced pasture-raised poultry and eggs.

Nutritional Benefit: Deep-yellow-yolked eggs, the sign of natural chock full of beneficial Omega 3 fatty acids.

In Season: Pastured eggs are seasonal, hens lay less as the days get shorter. In industrial confined egg operations they use artificial lights. However, while the ladies are resting and not earning their keep, they are eating even more expensive grain because of shorter daylight and colder days. Just one of the reasons why pastured eggs will cost more.

Inspiration: See what hard work, dedication, and pride in what the natural earth creates. Chris and Holly of Browder's Birds Mattituck, on the North Fork LI are career changers who run Long Islands's only organic & pastured poultry farm. On the west coast Soul Food Farm owners Alexis and Eric Koefoed raise pastured chickens for both eggs and meat. They turn sunlight, grass, bugs, and high-quality domestic feed into animals that live a healthy and humane life --free to roam in fresh air and peck and take dust baths — and then into delicious and healthy food. They are driven by the belief that "You are what you eat, and what you eat, eats." Soul Food Farm, Vacaville, CA.

Resources: For more information on where to find pasture eggs near you:

American Pastured Poultry Producers Association

Rodale Institute

When eggs are this good they need to take center stage, or center of the plate. So here's my Eggs Benedict Recipe, taken from Know Your Fire cookbook by George Hirsch with Marie Bianco.