June has a particular generosity to it in the kitchen. The broad beans are sweet and tender, the courgettes are arriving in abundance, the herbs are lush and fragrant, and the whole season seems to be leaning toward the kind of food that is simple to prepare, beautiful to look at, and deeply satisfying to eat.

This frittata is the best of all of that. It begins with courgettes roasted until their edges caramelise and their flesh turns sweet and yielding, a step that takes twenty minutes and transforms them entirely. From there, the dish builds quietly: fresh broad beans, creamy crumbled feta, a generous handful of mint torn at the last moment, a squeeze of lemon that pulls everything together. Eight eggs, well seasoned and poured over all of it, go into the oven and emerge golden, puffed, and set.

It is the kind of meal that works at any hour. A relaxed weekend lunch with a glass of something cold. A light weeknight dinner with a green salad alongside. Something to take to a friend, still warm, in the tin it was cooked in.

It is also, quietly and without making a fuss about it, one of the most nourishing things you can eat. Eggs are among the richest natural sources of B vitamins, choline, and complete protein. Broad beans bring plant-based protein, fibre, and magnesium, all of which support sustained energy and stable blood sugar levels. Feta contributes calcium and a saltiness that makes every other flavour in the dish more itself. None of this is why you should make it. You should make it because it is genuinely, unambiguously delicious. The nourishment is simply what it brings alongside, quietly and without announcement.

Roasted Courgette and Broad Bean Frittata with Feta, Mint and Lemon

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cooking Time: 35 minutes | Total Time: 50 minutes | Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS
• 3 medium courgettes, cut into 1cm rounds
• 200 grams fresh or frozen broad beans, podded weight
• 8 large free-range eggs
• 150 grams good quality feta cheese, crumbled
• 3 tablespoons fresh mint leaves, roughly torn
• 1 fresh lemon, zested and juiced
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, finely sliced
• 4 spring onions, finely sliced
• 1 pinch sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoons fresh dill fronds, to finish
• 1 pinch dried chilli flakes, optional
• 4 tablespoons full-fat crème fraîche, to serve

STEPS
1. Heat your oven to 200°C, 180°C fan, gas mark 6. Spread 3 medium courgettes, cut into 1cm rounds across a large roasting tray in a single layer. Drizzle with one tablespoon of 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil and season generously with 1 pinch sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes until golden at the edges and tender throughout. This step is everything. Raw courgette in a frittata is watery and flat. Roasted courgette is sweet, concentrated, and deeply flavourful. Do not skip it and do not crowd the tray.

2. While the courgettes roast, bring a small pan of salted water to the boil. Add 200 grams fresh or frozen broad beans, podded weight and cook for 2 minutes, then drain and refresh immediately under cold running water. If using larger broad beans, slip them out of their pale grey outer skins by pressing gently at one end. The bright green inner bean is sweeter, more tender, and considerably more beautiful. If using small, very fresh beans, this step is optional.

3. Crack 8 large free-range eggs into a large bowl. Add the zest of 1 fresh lemon, zested and juiced, a generous squeeze of its juice, and season well with 1 pinch sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Beat thoroughly until the yolks and whites are completely combined and the mixture is uniform in colour. Taste the raw mixture, it should be well seasoned. Under-seasoned eggs produce a flat frittata, and there is no opportunity to correct this once it is in the oven.

4. Reduce the oven to 180°C, 160°C fan, gas mark 4. Place a 26cm ovenproof frying pan over a medium heat. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil. Once warm, add 2 garlic cloves, finely sliced and 4 spring onions, finely sliced and cook gently for 3 to 4 minutes until softened and fragrant. Do not let the garlic colour. Add the roasted courgettes and the broad beans and stir gently to distribute everything evenly across the pan.

5. Pour the beaten egg mixture over the vegetables. Scatter two thirds of 150 grams good quality feta cheese, crumbled evenly across the surface. Add half of 3 tablespoons fresh mint leaves, roughly torn and 1 pinch dried chilli flakes, optional if using. Give the pan a gentle shake to settle everything. Cook over a low heat without stirring for 3 to 4 minutes, until the edges are just beginning to set but the centre is still liquid. This partial setting on the hob before the oven gives the frittata a better texture throughout.

6. Transfer the pan to the oven and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the frittata is set all the way through with just the faintest wobble at the very centre. It should be lightly golden on top and pulling away slightly from the edges of the pan. Do not overbake. A frittata that has gone too far loses its silkiness and becomes rubbery, which is an entirely avoidable disappointment.

7. Remove from the oven and leave to rest in the pan for 5 minutes. This resting time allows the frittata to finish cooking gently in the residual heat and makes it considerably easier to slice cleanly. Scatter over the remaining 150 grams good quality feta cheese, crumbled, the rest of 3 tablespoons fresh mint leaves, roughly torn, 1 tablespoons fresh dill fronds, to finish, and a final grate of lemon zest from 1 fresh lemon, zested and juiced. Finish with a grind of black pepper and a small drizzle of olive oil.

8. Serve directly from the pan, cut into generous wedges, with a spoonful of 4 tablespoons full-fat crème fraîche, to serve alongside and a simple green salad if you would like something more substantial. This frittata is equally good warm from the oven, at room temperature, or eaten cold the following day, which makes it one of the most versatile and reliable things in the seasonal kitchen.

**Hints & Tips**

**On the feta.** Use a block of feta packed in brine rather than pre-crumbled feta, which tends to be drier and less flavourful. Greek PDO feta, if available, has a creaminess and a tang that makes a noticeable difference to the finished dish.

**On the ovenproof pan.** A cast iron or heavy stainless steel frying pan is ideal. If your frying pan has a plastic handle, wrap it tightly in several layers of foil before putting it in the oven. Do not use a non-stick pan with a coating that cannot tolerate oven temperatures above 180°C.

**To make it dairy-free.** Replace the feta with a generous handful of toasted pine nuts and a few sun-dried tomatoes, and swap the crème fraîche for a good quality dairy-free alternative or simply a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. The frittata will be different but still deeply satisfying.

**On storing leftovers.** Frittata keeps exceptionally well. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. Eat cold, at room temperature, or warmed gently in a low oven for ten minutes. It is excellent tucked into a lunchbox with a handful of dressed leaves, which makes it one of the most practical things you can cook on a Sunday for the week ahead.

**On making it ahead.** The courgettes can be roasted and the broad beans prepared up to a day in advance and kept in the fridge. With that groundwork done, the frittata comes together in under twenty minutes on the day, which makes it an excellent choice for a relaxed weekend lunch with minimal last-minute effort.