Gluten Free Cast Iron Zucchini Pizza

Photo by Knoxy

Everything is bigger in Texas and this cast iron zucchini frittata is no exception. The zucchini that came out of my friend’s garden were so massive, we were like—what in the hell are we gonna do with all this zucchini? And what about all the cherry tomatoes?

We pondered the beauty of a ground turkey boat, but I just wasn’t thrilled with the idea because I knew the flavor of the meat would overpower the sweetness of the squash, so I decided to keep it very simple with a Texas sized frittata.

The trick to keeping the sweetness of the zucchini alive is by grating it with the onions and sweating them together in my old stand by favorite fat, cultured butter. You can also use ghee, bacon fat, or vegetable shortening. The bacon fat will add a smoky dimension, which I imagine is lovely, so give it a whirl. The garlic is added just a moment before the whisked eggs and cream are poured in. Then the cherry tomatoes are gently arranged on top of the mixture, and the grated gruyere cheese is sprinkled just before it’s baked until golden.

Perfect for that next big brunch since it serves 10, but I like to enjoy it for breakfast, lunch and dinner, so it’s up to you how and when you’d like to serve it. If serving for dinner, try it with some pan seared pesto chicken or red snapper, another great way to take advantage of the gorgeous basil that is peaking at most farmer’s markets right this second.

Cast Iron Zucchini Pizza

1-12 inch cast iron skillet, seasoned
3 tablespoons organic cultured butter

4 cups coarse grated fresh zucchini
3 cups (2 medium) coarse grated yellow onions
celtic sea salt to taste
freshly grated black pepper to taste
2 cloves garlic, minced
12 eggs, whisked
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons baking powder
8 cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup coarse grated gruyere cheese

Before you begin make sure your skillet is very well seasoned (oiled) so the frittata will not stick. If it is not, the pan will absorb most of the oil, so I recommend using a non-stick pan if this is the case. Preheat your oven to 375. Melt your butter over medium low heat in the cast iron skillet and then add the grated zucchini and onions and sweat for 15 minutes, stirring often. If the vegetables begin to stick, then your skillet was not properly seasoned, but you can add more butter and will be just fine.

While the vegetables are cooking whisk the eggs together with the cream. Add the baking powder and set aside. Add the garlic to the sweating vegetables and cook for 2 minutes. Pour the eggs and cream into the vegetables. Level the mixture with the back of a spoon or fork. Nestle the tomatoes into the mix in a lovely pattern and then sprinkle with the gruyere. Transfer to your preheated oven and bake uncovered for 15-20 minutes and the frittata has fluffed up and the cheese is golden.

Remove form the oven and allow to cool before serving.

Serves 10