This is Tammy Proctor. As we continue our exploration of comfort foods, I thought I would
explore a food that is easy to make in summer – Kuku Sabzi. This is a versatile egg frittata packed full of summer
greens, so as I look at the explosion of herbs and greens in my garden, I think about how best to enjoy these.
Personally, I find greens comforting. They remind me of a summer staple in our Missouri family – wilted lettuce.
I don’t eat this dish anymore because I don’t dump bacon grease on anything these days – but I do long for
flavorful dishes that use greens.
So back to Kuku Sabzi. The recipe I use is from a fantastic cookbook by Naomi Duguid called A Taste of Persia.
The book features recipes from the historic Persian lands – Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iran, and Kurdistan,
and many of the recipes feature seasonal foods. While I usually would make this frittata in summer when I have
lots of fresh herbs and greens, the cookbook does make it clear that by switching the ingredients, one could make
this year-round with frozen or dried greens.
So what is this dish? The first time I made it, I thought for sure it wouldn’t hold together because it has so much
green stuff in it – it is packed full of healthy stuff. But not only does it hold together, it gets a little crispy around
the edges and can be dumped out and sliced. It can be served warm or cold, and it can be stored in the fridge for a
few days.
Here’s the recipe:
You need a cast-iron skillet or some other oven-proof dish because this is going to be baked. In fact, preheat the
oven to about 325 degrees before you start your prep. Then you chop! Altogether you need 6 cups of very finely
chopped greens and herbs. You can pick your combo, but I would suggest starting with 1 ½ cups of leeks (for
flavor) and another cup of scallions – these deliver tremendous flavor in the dish. Then about 2 ½ cups of spinach
and lettuce (or I often substitute chard).
Finally, ½ c of flat-leaf parsley, ½ c of cilantro, and ¼ c of fresh dill make
for an excellent combo, but if you have other herbs you like, you can experiment. Mix all this together in a big
bowl and set aside. Then make a paste of 1T flour and 2T water, set aside. Lastly, whisk together 8-10 eggs (use 8
if they are large) in a bowl, add 2T of full fat yogurt or sour cream, 1 t salt, and ground pepper to taste. Whisk in
the flour/water paste. Pour over the greens and stir.
On the stovetop heat your cast-iron pan with 1T olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Remove from heat and
dump the egg/greens mixture into the pan. Sprinkle 1/c walnuts on top and bake for 45 minutes or until firm. It is
best to let it stand before cutting and serving (even an hour or more), so you can make this in the morning when it
is cool, and serve it for lunch or dinner with some crusty bread.
This is extremely tasty and comforting to eat, and it is a good reminder of how people in the old Persian lands eat.
Try it out this summer!
