Dazz Switalla Flavour Secrets No.1 The Strand Chef www.no1thestrand.co.nz

The New Year is rocketing ahead with all sorts of projects and ideas slotting into the fabric of time and its management.

All sorts of things can effect what gets achieved on a daily basis, with positive and negative results. Some days our plans change as microgreens take up most of my day.

Then the council passes by about one of the chickens crossing the road and depositing fantastic manure on someone's driveway. And a large multinational wants your edible décor product down in the South Island in two weeks.

Lastly, my Teenage son comes to stay at short notice; all while I'm suffering from Bare Cupboard Syndrome and Bare Fridge Syndrome.

The syndromes are symptoms of usual after-Christmas credit card bill and back to school expenses scenario. The widening gap between rich and poor in this country would shrink if people stopped worrying about chicken poop and the multinationals paid their bills on time.

My thoughts turn instead to the immediate problem of what to feed my son for dinner and school lunches the next day.

There are some eggs in the hen house and cherry tomatoes and capsicums in the garden. These are things I know he will eat. Luckily, there's half a packet of feta left in the fridge, so it's a vegetarian fritata for dinner and lunch the next day.

Cherry tomato, herb, potato, and feta fritata

Vegetarian and gluten-free

four serves

Ingredients

Olive oil

½ red onion, diced

1 clove garlic, sliced

1 cup cherry tomatoes

Basil leaves

100g feta cheese, diced

1 cup cooked, diced potatoes

½ cup cream

3 free-range eggs

Salt and pepper

1 Tbsp custard powder

Method

In a heavy skillet, cook off red onion in a little oil. Add potatoes and cook until browned. Season, then add garlic, tomatoes and shredded up basil leaves. Stir together eggs, cream and custard powder. Pour into pan then add the diced feta.

Place the whole pan into the oven and bake at 180 degrees Celsius for eight to 10 minutes until set. Other ingredients can be added, such as silver beet and microgreens if desired. Serve warm or chill and eat the next day. A big wedge is great wrapped up for the school lunch box.