There’s a beautiful vegetable shop in Port Alfred called Wharf Street Fruit & Veg where the produce is fresher than I’ve seen it anywhere. On a visit the other day I picked up all sorts, from preening white parsnips to proud bunches of fat leeks and the plumpest spring onions I’ve ever seen.

Three of these chunky onions were the magic fourth ingredient in this frittata, the Italian style omelette which is baked in a pan in the oven. The third ingredient was baby Roma tomatoes. Just add a little garlic salt and pepper and, of course, eggs and a little milk, and you have a frittata worth writing home about.

Ingredients

8 chunky courgettes, sliced into thin rounds

20 baby Roma tomatoes, halved

3 to 6 spring onions, sliced (with my fat ones it would be three, more if thinner)

2 rounds of feta, chopped or crumbled

½ cup full cream milk

8 extra large eggs

Garlic salt to taste

Salt (if more is needed) and black pepper to taste

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp butter

Method

Preheat the oven to 180℃.

Slice the courgettes into thin rounds.

Slice the onions thinly.

Halve the baby Roma tomatoes.

In a large, heavy frying pan suitable for the oven, melt 1 Tbsp butter with 1 Tbsp olive oil and lightly cook the courgettes, tossing and turning for even cooking. Season with a little garlic salt while they’re cooking. Lift them to a side dish.

Fry the halved tomatoes, cut side down, for a couple of minutes with a little more garlic salt, turn and cook the other side for a minute, and remove.

Add the spring onions and cook for a few minutes, tossing the pan.

Whisk 8 eggs in a bowl with half a cup of milk and a few grindings of salt and black pepper.

Return the tomatoes and courgettes to the pan. Crumble in 2 rounds of feta.

Still on the heat, pour the egg mixture into the pan, making sure all the vegetables are covered. Move the pan this way and that and rearrange some of the courgettes and tomatoes if you need to. Transfer to the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the mixture is set. Focus on the centre of the omelette at the top which is where you’ll see whether it is set or some of the egg is still runny. DM/TGIFood

Mervyn Gers Ceramics supplies dinnerware for the styling of some TGIFood shoots. For more information, click here.

Follow Tony Jackman on Instagram @tony_jackman_cooks. Share your versions of his recipes with him on Instagram and he’ll see them and respond.