Low Mileage Kitchen: Whip up a Spontaneous Skillet for surprise guests
By Judith Dunbar Hines January 31, 2012 11:56AM
Random leftovers in your kitchen can work perfecly for a Spontaneous Skillet for breakfast. | Rich Hein~Sun-Times
From the
Farmstand
The year-round Chicago’s Downtown Farmstand, 66 E. Randolph, offers Midwest-grown foods and other locally produced edibles, including those used in this recipe. Cooking classes are offered through the World Kitchen program (chicagoworldkitchen.org). Reach the Farmstand at (312) 742-8419, or go to chicagofarmstand.com.
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Updated: March 2, 2012 8:01AM
The phone rang on Sunday morning. Out-of-town friends, in for a quick visit, had some time before heading to O’Hare. Could we meet for breakfast?
Wanting to spend as much uninterrupted time with them as possible, I impulsively offered to make brunch at my house. Then I opened my fridge and freezer to see what it held.
Eggs of course. Thick smokey bacon. A few potatoes and a bag of just beginning to wilt spinach. Wonderful sourdough bread, a little salsa, some homemade jam, a grapefruit. And there is always a supply of cheese of various kinds. Brunch for four was possible in just a few minutes.
My freezer always is filled with small packets of ingredients ready for just this kind of easy meal, one that works morning, noon or night. Bacon gets separated into single strips, folded into little squares of plastic wrap and stored in a zipper-top bag where they are easy to pull out one strip at a time or several as needed. Orange juice concentrate is poured into another bag and stored, flattened into a compact square, ready to break off small pieces or thaw the whole thing as the occasion dictates. Leftover bits of broth and tomato sauce get the same treatment. All three can be diluted or used as base ingredients in any number of ways. Chipotle chiles wait to give a recipe some spice.
In a few minutes the potato was diced into tiny cubes and put into an oven-proof skillet over low heat to brown and cook. Spinach was chopped and eggs were broken and whipped. Tomato sauce went into a small saucepan to be enhanced with a spoonful of salsa and a bit of chipotle. The table was cleared and set in a jiffy.
When their cab pulled up, the coffee was ready to pour. Eggs went into the skillet on top of the potato-bacon-spinach mixture and it slid into the oven after a quick shower of grated cheese. Slices of bread were buttered and warmed in the same oven. In five minutes, we were at the table, ready to catch up on our lives, separated by so many miles but held together with even more shared memories.
With the egg dish, there were glasses of champagne with a bit of orange juice and a splash of Grand Marnier garnished with grapefruit segments. We propose a toast to friendship with people who enjoy life and spontaneous moments together.
Judith Dunbar Hines is the director of culinary arts and events for the Chicago Office of Tourism and Culture, which operates Chicago’s Downtown Farmstand.
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