I had such a good time at the farmer’s market this Saturday that I decided to make a few dishes for a Meatless Monday! It’s such a wonderful feeling being at the market surrounded by locally grown fresh fruits and vegetables, and Collingswood Farmer’s Market is by far the best market in the area!
I haven’t seen too much different this year, but there seems to be a greater variety of Heirloom Tomatoes in the market and I have tried a few of the varieties, but field grown Jersey tomatoes are still the best tomato you could ever have! I did buy some red and green zebra tomatoes, but technically those aren’t heirloom tomatoes having made their entry into the market in 1983. The zebra is a tangy sweet tomato, with a little different flavor, and as Lisa says it nice to try something different. (which usually means but don’t buy it again!)
I also picked up some heirloom lemon cucumbers which have just started showing up in the market. Lemon Cucumbers have a sweeter flavor than regular cucumbers and are not supposed to have as much of the chemical that makes them bitter and hard to digest. I found the skins to be a little tougher but not too bad. These little beauties would be great for pickling!
What I did end up with was a beautiful combination of colors and flavors that made a perfect side dish, or would have went well over a green salad. I just added some extra virgin olive oil, a splash of balsamic vinegar a little salt and pepper and let nature do the rest with by commingling the flavorful juices from these fruits! That’s right scientifically speaking both the cucumber and tomato are classified as fruits, but from a culinary standpoint they are counted as vegetables.
I had been thinking about Strata’s for the past few weeks, I don’t why but I remembered a lunch that Mama Jeanette had made one afternoon, she didn’t want to interrupt my work on the house, so she threw together a dish from what she had available. A stale loaf of bread, eggs, and of course cheese!
A Strata is very similar to a quiche or frittata, I think the only real difference is the inclusion of bread in the strata.
You can add vegetables, or meats to the strata, but I kind of like it the way Mama made it that day, so when I recreated that lunch I kept it basic, and it was feast for the stomach as well as the soul.
Strata is a quick and easy dish to prepare, that could be served at any time of the day, be creative, add your own touch just keep the basic recipe intact and it will never disappoint! The nice people at Euphrates Feta Cheese had graciously sent me a sample of their feta cheese to have some fun with, so I did decide to alter the recipe with the addition of feta, and it was an outstanding decision. The tang of the feta added another dimension to this flavorful dish. Feel free to substitute Chobani Low Fat Greek Yogurt for the heavy cream in the recipe, a great way to keep the fat and the calories down!!
Strata
Ingredients:
2 cups of old bread cut into large cubes
1 tbsp. melted butter
6 Large Eggs
1 cup Whole milk
1/2 cup Heavy Cream (or Chobani Greek Yogurt)
1 cup Sharp Cheddar shredded
1 Cup Euphrates Feta Cheese crumbled
1/2 cup grated Romano cheese
Black pepper to taste
6 Zucchini Blossoms (optional)
Directions:
1. Cut bread into large cubes and lightly coat with melted butter, season with garlic, onion, and pepper and place in a 350 degree oven to toast.
2. Place Toasted bread in the bottom of a baking dish (or 9″ springform pan)
3. Lightly beat eggs, add milk, heavy cream , grated romano and black pepper and mix together until well blended.
4. Sprinkle shredded cheddar and Feta over the bread.
5. Pour egg mixture over bread and allow to stand for 10-15 minutes to allow bread to soak up the egg mixture.
6. If your using zucchini blossoms place them on top of the mixture and just press down into the egg lightly to cover them. (they may float back up its ok)
7. Place in 350 degree oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the egg mixture is fully cooked in the center.
(you may need to cover the with aluminum foil if the top is getting too dark)
8. Allow Strata too rest for 15-20 minutes before slicing, so it sets up well.
9. Cut into squares or remove from the springform pan , slice and serve at room temperature.
Strata is such a versatile and fun dish to make for friends and family, serve it as a late supper with a salad and a nice glass of wine, or at a brunch. Any way you served it just make sure you have enough, because your guests will be coming back for seconds!
Have a great week my friends, August is upon us and the Dog Days of Summer can’t be far behind! So stay cool, eat light, eat healthy but save room for dessert! Till next time…..
Cheers
Dennis
syrupandbiscuits says
What beautiful, colorful produce. I grow heirloom tomatoes and love making a salad with all the different color combinations. I also grew lemon cucumbers for the first time this spring and had moderate success until downy mildew attacked the plant. Your idea about using the zucchini bloom in the strata is awesome. I rarely make stratas but I do make a lot of frittatas. I will certainly use the blossoms in the next squash frittata I make. Thank you, Chef Dennis!
Shirley says
Chef, I was thinking of you when the zucchini plant in my garden started producing blossoms! I've never heard of zebra tomatoes, but they're beautiful. And this strata looks hearty and wonderful.
Big Dude says
the strata sounds delicious and I like that salad also. I grow the green zebra as I really like it's tang.
Tiffany says
I had a heirloom tomato omelette for dinner tonight!!! I guess great minds think alike :D. And congrats on making Top 9!!!
nicole says
Your tomatoes are wooing me. I am in love.
KC Quaretti says
Oh how I wish we had lemon cucumbers here in Florida! Chef Dennis, your strata looks marvelous. I shared this post on my facebook page knowing so many will enjoy knowing about a strata! Thank you.
Claudia says
Feeling so very sorry for myself because lemon cucumbers have never showed up in the MN markets. Must teach MN to experiment a wee bit. But the heirloom tomatoes are in and savor every little bump and sweetness in them. I have made stratas. And I made them badly. Time to rethink and look at your recipe.
Jessica says
Thank you for such great inspiration! I am definitely visiting the farmers' market this weekend and strata is a great idea to serve with fresh seasonal vegetables! Yours looks mouth watering!
Karen says
This looks so delicious! The tomatoes also look so tasty and vibrant. Good idea to sub Greek yogurt for heavy cream.
Meagan @ Scarletta Bakes says
Gosh does this look gorgeous! So refreshing and perfect for summer.
Thanks for another wonderful post and recipe, Chef Dennis!!
Megan @ Pip and Ebby says
The tomato-cucumber salad is right up my alley. I'm a major salad fiend. This looks insanely delicious! I just made an heirloom tomato salad last night!
The strata looks amazing, too!
Becka (The Elegant Eggplant) says
That produce is BEAUTIFUL!!!! I am incredibly jealous!
Elyse @The Cultural Dish says
That strata looks really good for stale bread! Love the photos, especially with the zucchini blossoms!
Emily @ Life on Food says
Oh man, I love going to a good farmer's market. All of the veggies look amazing. I have some zuchinni blossoms right now and had no idea what to do with them. I think I will try this out – I love the simplicity.
Peggy says
Look at those beautiful tomatoes and cucumbers! Don't think I've ever had a lemon cucumber before – and this strata sounds absolutely delicious – might have to try it soon seeing that I practically have all the ingredients on hand already!
Jenny @ Savour the Senses says
Love, love heirloom tomatoes! We have 9 heirloom tomato plants in our garden right now. These ones are gorgeous!
Elly says
Hi Dennis,
I absolutely love your recipes and your pics, they're always better and better!
Have a nice day!
Elly (Dolce Mania)
Elin says
Chef Dennis..
Came back from a church retreat and here I am drooling over your delicious meal 🙂
over here we don't get to see these lovely heirloom tomato and lemon cucumber in the market so can only drool here 🙁 but we surely we can substitute with cherry tomatoes and japanese cucumber, though the taste and texture may not be the same 🙂 Love that strata you have here…yea with the tomato salad and a glass of wine…perfect meal 🙂
Thanks for sharing the recipe 🙂
Cheap Ethnic Eatz says
The salad looks stunning but the strata…oh my…with all that cheese it looks and I am sure tastes like heaven. Bookmarking this one.
kitchenarian says
Your heirloom tomatoes are so beautiful! I love the farmer's market. The strata looks delicious too!
Skylar Wolfe says
Looks stunning, that strata looks absolutely delicious.
Tomato time is my favorite time of year, fruit or vegetable, to me it's tasty
Charlie says
This salad looks amazing! I've never seen lemon cucumbers before but it is definitely something I want to try!
Joy says
The strata looks great.
The Culinary Lens says
I find it so appropriate that you work in an educational setting because I always learn from your posts.
The salad is really incredible. I never heard of a strata it's almost a savory bread pudding. This will be on my home brunch list for sure.
I am always trying to explain how certain "vegetables" are actually fruit but your sentence makes it much clearer than I ever have..
"That's right scientifically speaking both the cucumber and tomato are classified as fruits, but from a culinary standpoint they are counted as vegetables."
LaDivaCucina says
I'm trying to remember where I had a lemon cucumber before…but I remember I liked it! Your salad looks divine, I really can almost taste it!
Being a lover of fritatta and quiche, the strata looks really interesting and right up my alley. What a great brunch idea too. Good for you for participating in Meatless Monday! (i had cheese pizza!)
[email protected] says
This looks fantastic Dennis! I have always loved finding uses for tomatoes beyond salads (it's so easy to get bogged down in what we're used to) and this sounds like a great way to use some heirloom ones I picked up. Thanks!
FamilySpice says
We tried zebra tomatoes a few summers back, also from a farmer's market, too. Dee-licious! I always make crustless quiches. Now I know to name it a strata. Thanks for the lesson!
Rita says
Hi Chef Denis,
I lost you somehow and now I come back to see this fantastic recipe. I have never made this and I think it would make a perfect repas for the 2 of us.
Rita
Adelina says
Lemon cucumbers? Need to try them. I love your salad and strata. I like to have my toast dipped in eggs and pan-fried similar to french toast and this is just a fancy version with Zucchini blossoms… and cheese.
mangiabella says
the strata is fantastic, just perfect!!! all of these magnificent colors just make me so happy right now….
Laural @ Being Healthier says
oo zebra tomatoes and lemon cucumber, oh my! what amazing produce to photgraph AND use in a recipe ha! love the strata too- I used to make those all the time and just thought it was the same as frittata but now I see why the different name!
warmvanillasugar says
This sounds lovely! I've never made a strata before, but sure will now!
Brooks at Cakewalker says
Chef, the timing of this post is spot on, as is the photography and recipe. I have 5 plants of vigorously producing heirloom tomatoes begging to use their fruit in new ways. Thanks for the recipe good man and happy summer to you!
Cheryl and Adam @ pictureperfectmeals.com says
Chef your salad is superb and dressed perfectly. Nothing better than good olive oil and a splash of balsamic, or lemon juice. Never had heirloom cucumbers though, we'll have to look for them at the farmer's market this weekend. Great photos, by the way.
Mari @ Mari's Cakes says
Wonderful recipes. I love the salad 🙂
Santy Gibson says
This strata look yummy…I never tried lemon cucumber before. What does is taste like?
Kath says
I'd like your strata for breakfast this morning!
Pretend Chef says
I love the vibrant colors of the salad. Both of these dishes sound and look amazing. The lemon cucumber is a new to me ingredient. I would love to give it a try sometime if I come across it.
Rosemary says
I haven't had a lemon cucumber before, but last evening, a neighbor gave me an apple cucumber he gew, and I'm so anxious to try it for lunch today. Fresh (and new) veggies are so intriguing. Your strata looks heavenly.
Dzoli says
The colours are so inviting and the combination of two dishes is divine;)
Baking Serendipity says
I love your meatless meal 🙂 All the fresh vegetables at the market lately make the best stars of the dish. That salad looks especially delicious!
Bouler Locavore says
This looks great Dennis. I grew Green Zebra tomaotes last year, absolutely loving them and savored every one. I also love lemon cucumbers; they have such a fresh taste. Growing them this year. The strate looks perfect. I am finding myself wanting to prepare 'one dish' faire like this right now in the heat.
Happy When Not Hungry says
Those tomatoes look gorgeous!!! Love that strata as well. Beautiful photos too!
Maria says
Yummiiii!
Enjoy Cooking!
Candace says
Chef, that is one delicious looking salad! I had lemon cucumbers for the first time last summer and found them to be absolutely delicious. I haven't been able find any this summer since I moved to New Hampshire. Would you believe that I've never had strata? I definitely need to change that.
Grammy T. says
One Word:
YUMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!
Kristen says
Heirloom vegetables are such beautiful creations. I just love how they look in your salad. It is like a plate full of summer.
The Harried Cook says
Love your recipe for Strata! Bookmarking it, Chef Dennis… Sounds so yummy, and I must try it. I have never seen lemon cucumbers before, but they look really pretty! And those tomatoes are gorgeous too! Beautiful post 🙂
Ann says
I love stratta…who doesn't love cheese and eggs? Your tomato salad so fresh and tasty looking! I could eat them both every day! I absolutely adore the bowl of tomato picture.
Island Vittles says
What a gorgeous bounty of vegetables! I can't wait for the lemon cucumbers to hit our local market too…Theresa
Erin says
Those tomatoes are just beautiful! The Strata sounds rich, and creamy and delicious! What a great trip to the Farmers Market.
BonnieBanters says
I love good tomatoes and I like to experiment also. I've not heard of lemon cucumbers…I'll have to look for them at the international market close to me. Strata is a dish for all times of the day and very comforting. Thanks!
Monet says
What a stunning strata! I have been enjoying quite a few heirloom tomatoes this week. Don't you just love them? I'm glad I'm reading your blog during my afternoon snack break. I would have some serious hunger pains if I didn't have bowl of food in front of me! I hope you are having a wonderful Monday. Thank you for sharing with me, Chef Dennis. Love and hugs from Austin!
Inspired by eRecipeCards says
I was about to drool on your tomatoes and cucs, but that strata looks fabulous. Amazing photos.
And Farmers markets are amazing… especially for the next 4 or 5 weeks. So uch fun
Pam says
Like that strata! It looks delicious! The tomatoes are pretty and there's nothing like a farmer's market in the summer. The local corn and tomatoes are excellent this year.
lostpastremembered says
That strata looked like a slice of heaven, Dennis and perfect for a hot day with all those lovely tomatoes and veggies… hate the heat but love the produce!
Lisa (this litttle piggy) says
Looks like a perfect brunch for the summer. LOVE heirloom tomatoes.
Christine's Pantry says
I have not seen lemon cucumbers in my area. I will be on the look out for them. Your salad and strata looks wonderful. Salad perfect for a hot day, like today, it's 108 degrees.
Lolly's Sweet Treats says
This looks absolutely divine! Nothing beats fresh tomatoes. I think I may make this for brunch on Saturday. Thanks 🙂
RavieNomNoms says
That looks SO good! I wish I had that for my dinner tonight, I would most definitely snack on 2 pieces of that lovely strata!
Tastemonials says
This looks amazing. Heirloom tomatoes and lemon cucumber salad is a summer staple for us. Unfortunately, the heirlooms are late this year!
Veronica Gantley says
I knew you couldnt resist sticking a squash blossom in one of those pictures. Thanks for sharing.
rinku says
This looks absolutely lovely, beautiful pictures!
Kate says
What a wonderful salad!! And, that strata looks equally wonderful!!!!!
Torviewtoronto says
delicious looking meal Dennis this looks refreshing
Sarah says
We spent almost three hours at our local market yesterday…it's so nice in the summer! Those tomatoes are just gorgeous and that strata sounds wonderful!
kankana says
Farmers market is always so much fun and I always end up buying so many variety of vegetables! This strata looks so delicious. I never made it .. should try sometime.
Adora's Box says
I wish we had a nice market around here. There's not much variety in terms of fresh produce around here. Very interesting tomatoes and cucumbers. The strata is just stunning. Just perfect with the fresh salad.
Kim Bee says
Your strata looks amazing Dennis. It turned out perfect. I am happy to know the lemon cucumbers are out. They are my daughter's fave veggie but so hard to find. Going to take a drive and see if some of the fruit n veggie stands in the area have them. That salad looks so good. Have a great week!
S.V. says
This strata looks so good!