Garden Frittata

I used to live in a rambling old house in Vermont that had two pernicious plants in the garden: swiss chard and dill. Whether we watered and weeded regularly or not at all, those guys just kept growing. Since we also had a few chickens that provided us with fresh eggs, this herby frittata became my standard breakfast. Recipe makes 4 servings. 


1 large bunch swiss chard

1/2 tsp chili flakes, or more according to taste

sea salt and black pepper, to taste

2 teaspoons olive oil, coconut oil or bacon fat

8 eggs

1/2 cup goat's milk yogurt

1 handful each of fresh basil, parsley and dill



1. Rinse chard and trim off ragged ends. Remove the leaves from the stalk and roughly chop them. Dice the stalks and add them to a cast iron pan (or other oven proof skillet) with a teaspoon of cooking fat. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and chili flakes and sauté on medium heat until soft. Add in the leaves and cook until wilted. 

2. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk eggs thoroughly. Rinse the herbs and dry them well. Mince and gently stir herbs into the eggs. Stir in goat yogurt, sea salt and freshly ground pepper. The yogurt should only streak through the eggs, rather than completely blending in. 

3. Add another teaspoon of cooking fat to the skillet, coating the bottom and sides well. Raise heat to medium-high. Pour the egg mixture evenly into the pan, and use a wooden spoon or spatula to evenly distribute the greens throughout. Turn the heat down to medium-low and cook until edges are golden brown. The center of the frittata will still be very loose.

4. Heat your oven to a high broil, and set the skillet on the top rack, four to five inches below the heat. Check it every minute or 90 seconds until the top is just starting to brown. It will go fast! Remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes. Slice in quarters, loosen the edges and serve.

During the summer, I love making this frittata for last-minute breakfast guests because we always have the ingredients on hand. If you grow nothing else, I really encourage you to have a pot with some swiss chard and herbs next to your front door. 

If you need some more breakfast inspiration, check out the Breakfast Experiment.