Mary, Mary quite contrary how does your garden grow?

Well with all this rain that we have been having, it is probably out of control.

At my house, we have one zucchini plant that is so monstrous that we have lovingly named it Audrey II after the alien plant from the musical “Little Shop of Horrors,” which is now playing at The Merry-Go-Round Playhouse. It erupted from our compost pile and has given us the most fantastic squash. Oddly enough, we haven't seen too many vermin in the back yard since it started to blossom, and the neighbor's cat has gone missing. Hmmmm.

With buckets of zucchini, string beans and now tomatoes littering the counter, what are we going to cook with all these vegetables? One of my favorite summer dishes is frittata. An open-faced omelet that can be eaten at any time and in a number of ways. The egg concoction can be made ahead and refrigerated then microwaved when needed. Many recipes call for the frittata to be put under a broiler to be finished, but I find it unnecessary and a waste of energy.

All we need to get started is a non-stick fry pan or skillet (11-inch is my pan of choice), a heat proof spatula and some prepared ingredients (diced, seasoned and sauteed).

Vegetables, meats and starches are all great in frittata. Zucchini has been the vegetable of choice so far this year, but I think the peppers may give them a run for their money. The vegetables that work best are the ones that take minimal cooking time, think mushrooms, peppers, asparagus and seeded tomatoes.

Leafy chopped greens like spinach, escarole and swiss chard can also be used. Some recipes call for cooked diced potatoes or cooked pasta, but I think that their starchiness takes away from the desired lightness. Meats like sausages, bacons and hams are tasty as well as leftover pieces of steak.

First, I start with eight large eggs beaten, then add a tablespoon of milk and some garlic salt and pepper and set aside. One of the most important lessons to remember when cooking is to season and taste as you go. We want to build flavors on top of flavors. Seeing as you really can't taste the raw eggs, then you need to rely on seasoning the other ingredients.

Next, we heat up our non-stick pan, add two tablespoons of vegetable oil and saute the ingredients; for this recipe dice two medium zucchini (not peeled) and half an onion. Season and cook until onions are translucent and zucchini has a tinge of brown. Salt and pepper are a must; garlic salt, hot pepper flakes, parsley, basil and oregano are perfect for this particular frittata.

Remove from pan and set aside.

Return the skillet to the stove, reheat, add two tablespoons of oil and one tablespoon of butter and tilt to cover the surface of the pan. Once the butter is melted then add two-thirds of the egg mixture that was set aside earlier; cook as if making scrambled eggs by moving the heat proof spatula through the eggs. They only need to be cooked until they start to coagulate slightly.

Add the zucchini and onions over the eggs, spreading them out evenly. I like to put some grated parmesan cheese over the top for some added zip.

The remainder of the raw egg mix is poured on top and then I cover the skillet and turn the heat down. By covering the skillet, the frittata will cook through and puff up.

Once the egg is set (not jiggly on top), remove the pan from the heat, loosen it up with the spatula, then invert onto a pizza tin or plate (preferably larger than the pan) and slide back into the pan to finish cooking. If it sticks a little that is fine because the top becomes the bottom again once it is inverted again at the end.

Cook until the frittata browns on the edges and peak underneath with the spatula for a golden hue. Invert onto the serving plate and dig in.

For breakfast the frittata can be eaten as is, for lunch or dinner it can be eaten with a salad or between two slices of Italian bread. It only takes about two or three minutes to warm up in the microwave and retains both its flavor and moistness.

When making a sandwich; I like to liven it up with a dollop of barbecue sauce or salsa.

Venture into the garden or grocery store and whip up your own creation. You deserve a warm homemade meal that doesn't take hours to cook.

Valerie Usowski, an Auburn native, is the banquet manager at the Auburn Holiday Inn and a Culinary Institute of America graduate.