If you had told me three years ago that I’d be adding bone marrow to a frittata, I would’ve asked you where you were getting your drugs. HA! But the times, they’ve changed. And here I find myself searching for ways to incorporate as much bone marrow (from organic, pasture raised, happy cows) into my meals as possible to reap the many rewards of it’s deeply nutritional and healing properties. You see, as our ancestors well understood, bone marrow is chock full of incredible minerals (calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium to name a few) and vitamins (specifically the most important A, D, and K) that are critical for healthy thriving. Our ancestors appreciated the bits and bobs of the animal that we have since stopped eating- the organs, the marrow, the FAT. They somehow instinctively understood that these parts of the animals contained an abundance of nutrition critical to healthy humanity. And I personally love knowing that nothing is being wasted- we’re eating every bit of the animal we can get our hands on. This makes sense to me in so many ways.
While I love eating bone marrow roasted and sprinkled with salt, I also love the idea of sneaking it into other meals to increase the amount of it that we’re getting. I’ve been making the beef stock from the Gjelina cookbook (it’s heavenly and now that I’m mentioning it I should note that the cookbook is my all time favorite). The recipe calls for 5 pounds of beef shanks, all of which have marrow in them. I also add two long split marrow bones that I get at the farmers market to the pot. I’m careful when I’m making the stock to not stir the shanks/marrow bones and when it’s done I gently remove the shanks and collect the marrow from the bone centers. This is what lands in this frittata, after sitting in the refrigerator and firming up a bit.
Now, are you wondering how this tastes? Because ultimately that is THE MOST IMPORTANT THING! And the answer: it’s flipping delicious! The marrow sort of blends in with the goat cheese and egg, adding a richness to the flavor that isn’t overt. It would be a brilliant way to sneak bone marrow into your family if they find it to be suspect. And the asparagus and tomatoes add the sweet taste of summer that finishes it off perfectly. I love it, and I think you will too! xx- Sarah
