Food, Wine

Goat Cheese Frittata for Mothers and Others

Pop quiz! Which holiday is older: Cinco de Mayo or Mother’s Day? Californians love their mothers, but the annual holiday celebrating Mexican-American culture predates Mom’s special day by decades. One hundred and sixty years ago — on May 5, 1862 — the outmanned and outgunned Mexican Army defeated the French in the Battle of Puebla, and Californians have been commemorating that improbable victory ever since. Mother’s Day didn’t become official until 1914.

Curiously, Cinco de Mayo gets more attention in California than in Mexico. In the Golden State, communities celebrate the day with mariachi music, dance performances and plenty of Mexican and Cal-Mex fare.

This goat cheese frittata is definitely in the latter camp — a California recipe with a Mexican soul. Enjoy it with warm tortillas on Cinco de Mayo, then remake it for Mom on Sunday, May 8, with a green salad.

Anna Jarvis, a West Virginian, began advocating for a national Mother’s Day in 1905, the year she lost her own mother. Congress balked, joking that the next demand would be a Mothers-in-Law Day. But Jarvis persisted, and nine years later, President Woodrow Wilson signed the proclamation making the second Sunday in May a nationwide holiday.

Today, Mother’s Day is the busiest day of the year for most restaurants. All the more reason to keep your celebration at home. Gather the matriarchs in your family for a frittata brunch or lunch and toast them with California bubbly. After all, we’d be nothing without them.

DRUMROLL, PLEASE!

This year’s winners of theCalifornia Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance’s Green Medal Awardshave shown a commitment to sustainability that goes above and beyond. Theysearchforsustainable solutions to challenges, and their thoughtful approaches inspire the entire industry to aim higher.All four of thesewinnersdemonstratethat sustainability is about constant improvement. We recognize and applaud their leadership.

And now,the 2022 Green Medal Award recipients:Wente Family Estates(Leader Award); Trefethen Family Vineyards(Environment Award); McManisFamily Vineyards(Community Award); andJackson Family Wines(Business Award). Take a bow!

The Pour

From egg salad sandwiches to quiche to caviar, egg dishes love sparkling wine. Whether you like your bubbles bone dry or with a softening smidge of residual sugar, there’s a style for you. Ask a merchant for guidance, but the label can tell you a lot. Brut sparklers have minimal sugar and a lean, bracing taste. An extra dry bottling will be a tad sweeter and a demi-sec sweeter yet. Sparkling rosé can fall anywhere on that spectrum. If you’re a “Rosé All Day” sort of person, a sparkling wine with a touch of a blush is a great choice for you.

Meet the Grapes: Explore more wine pairings.

Brunch just got a lot more fun. Long, slender Anaheim chiles range from mild to very slightly hot. If you can’t find them, substitute 1 large green bell pepper. For a spicier dish, use poblano chiles in place of the Anaheims. Pair with California Sparkling wine or California Sparkling Rosé.

Ingredients

2 large Anaheim chiles or poblano peppers, about ½ pound (225 g)
8 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 green onion, white and pale green part only, thinly sliced
3/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons (30 ml) extra virgin olive oil
2 ounces (60 g) fresh, rindless goat cheese
¼ avocado, sliced, for garnish
Cilantro sprigs, for garnish

Directions

Preheat the broiler. Put the chiles on a foil-lined baking sheet and broil about 6 inches (15 cm) from the flame until blackened all over, about 7 minutes. Cool, peel and remove the seeds. Dice neatly.
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375°F (190°C). In a large bowl, combine the eggs, chiles, green onion, salt and several grinds of black pepper.
Heat a 10-inch (25-cm) nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the egg mixture and stir briefly, if necessary, to distribute the chiles evenly. Reduce the heat to medium-low and let cook without stirring until the frittata begins to set around the edges but is still liquid in the center, about 7 minutes. Put about 1 dozen small nuggets of goat cheese on top, spacing them evenly and using all the cheese.
Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until the surface is just firm to the touch, 7 to 8 minutes. Remove the skillet from the oven (be careful — the handle will be hot), run a rubber spatula around the edge of the frittata to loosen it, then slide it out onto a platter or cutting board. Serve warm. Just before serving, garnish with avocado and cilantro sprigs.