There’s nothing wrong with serving ham — or lamb — for Easter brunch, but sometimes you want to add a little punch to the traditional spring meal.
Chefs seem to do this with ease. Their secret: Take something familiar, then rearrange the components to create something totally unexpected.
At Harley and Buck’s in Eden, chef and owner Craig Bonham takes ingredients for a traditional caprese salad — tomatoes, fresh basil and mozzarella — and creates a baked egg frittata.
Bonham said the idea for his caprese frittata presented itself last May, while he and his wife, Miki, were honeymooning in southern France. The chef at the hotel served this Italian-style omelet for an early lunch, and they couldn’t stop thinking about it.
“When I started doing brunch here a year ago, we added it to the menu as a non-meat option for customers,” Bonham said, noting that one week, without thinking, he left it off the Sunday brunch menu. Enough customers complained that it’s now a staple. “It’s a really great brunch item that delivers a lot of flavor,” he said.

Craig Bonham, owner of Harley and Buck's in Eden

Caprese Frittata
Harley and Buck’s caprese frittata
10 large eggs, cracked and whipped
1/3 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoon butter
3 ripe Roma tomatoes diced
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2/3 cup chopped fresh basil leaves, divided
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a large casserole dish with butter or non-stick cooking spray. Crack eggs into a large bowl and stir in cream.
Place butter in a large non-stick sauté pan and heat until melted. Add diced Roma tomatoes, salt, pepper and 1/2 cup of chopped fresh basil. Sauté 2 minutes. Add the eggs mixture and stir frequently to keep eggs cooking evenly.
Once eggs become firm but are still wet, dump mixture into prepared casserole dish. Spread mozzarella over the top.
Place in the oven for 4 to 5 minutes to melt cheese and firm eggs.
Garnish with the remaining chopped basil and serve.
Servings » 4
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