Tortilla de Patatas

It was cool today. I did a lot of hard, physical work and did not so much as muster up a "glow", let alone a bead of perspiration. After I showered and stepped outside to look at my funny-looking flower garden I was, well, a little cold, actually.

We know there are wonderful dinners for cold winter nights (sauerbraten, beef stew, coq au vin) and there are wonderful dinners for hot summer nights (poached salmon, chicken salad, grilled meats and vegetables), but is there something right for a cold, SUMMER night? (Mark Twain, what did you eat in San Francisco?!!)

I improvised with a Spanish Tortilla de Patatas. A Spanish Tortilla is not a bag of corn chips meant to impolitely double-dipped into a jar of store-bought salsa. A Spanish Tortilla is a light, yet hearty omelette of sorts, featuring savory onions and potatoes. Spanish Tortillas are true Cucina de Povera, or the not-so-fancy cooking of regular European folks. And Cucina de Povera is the kind of stuff I live for at the dinner table... simple and delicious.

I start my Tortilla de Patatas with onions, salted and sweated in a cast iron pan. I then add razor-thin potato slices and about a cup of vegetable broth. I sort of saute/boil the potatoes for about 7 minutes until they are soft and the broth is gone. Add a half dozen beaten eggs, a smidge of cheese if you want, and finish the eggs to the consistency you like. Rumor has it, the Spaniards like it runny. I actually bake the whole shootin' match for a couple minutes, frittata-style, to make a more uniformly puffy, yet firm finish.

I served this just above room temperature with a lovely green salad and it was perfect for a cool summer evening. It was hearty, yet felt light. Even mi esposo, who looks askance at entrees that do not feature meat-based protein, went back for second helpings. What a lovely, simple dinner. It was a pleasure to make and a pleasure to enjoy in the chilly, fading light.