Jemima's Savoury Picnic Omelette

Beatrix Potter Week continues today with a recipe, along with a closer look at the woman who created the world's most famous lagomorph: Peter Rabbit. 

When Beatrix Potter was sixty years old, her books were international bestsellers. An American magazine invited her to write a short biography for her many fans, and Beatrix described herself as an artist/farmer/lawyer's wife who lived in the Lake District. In a private note to the editor, she added:

"I don't think anybody requires to know more about me." 

Eighty nine years later, her fans would beg to differ.

Beatrix's private life has been gleaned through letters, interviews, and her body of work. We know that she was a sickly, lonely, creative child. She grew up in London and summered in the country with her family. Her mother was loving but overbearing. 

On Beatrix's thirtieth birthday, she was still living at home, suffering through her mother's matchmaking. Beatrix was having none of it. She wanted to draw, write, and tend to her animals, real and imaginary. 

One summer her family leased a house in the hilly, northern Lake Country. The garden overlooked the water, which was always changing and provided endless inspiration to Beatrix. She was smitten with everything, from the moors to wild mushrooms.
The holiday ended, and Beatrix's parents herded her back to London, where she began to sell illustrated cards.

A decade later, professional success and an unbearable sorrow would dovetail into the perfect storm, bringing her back to the Lake District. She bought Hill Top Farm and orchestrated the renovation from afar, as her mother deemed it "unseemly" for a woman to live alone. However, she turned Beatrix loose now and then, allowing her famous daughter to visit her "country home."

Once, Beatrix arrived at Hill Top and discovered that the contractor had created a huge, hideous front lawn. (Possibly he'd assumed that a city slicker like Miss Potter would want to play croquet.)

It would cost a small fortune to correct the error, so Beatrix planted potatoes. 

Speaking of potatoes . . . I made a potato-leek omelette and

scorched it a bit. Still, it was delicious. How can you go wrong when a recipe calls for sauteed potatoes, onions, peas, leeks, peppers--and six large eggs?

The preface to the recipe* is utterly charming:

"In The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck, gullible Jemima is delighted when the silver-tongued, foxy gentleman, Beatrix's favourite villain, invites the duck to a private dinner party.

 'Not even the mention of sage and onions made her suspicious.' She really believes 'the gentleman with sandy whiskers wants her to fetch herbs from the farm garden to make a savoury omelette." 

The author of Beatrix Potter Country Cooking, Sara Paston-Williams, added her notes to the recipe:

"This particular savoury omelette is delicious for a picnic. If you are eating it as part of a meal, the quantity will serve 6; for a main dish, count on 3 servings."

What You Need:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large potato, peeled and diced (I parboiled the potato to reduce cooking time)

1 small leek, finely chopped

6 tablespoons cooked green peas, fresh or frozen

1 large red bell pepper, deseeded and finely chopped

6 tablespoons (1/2 cup) chopped fresh parsley

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

6 large eggs

Salt and freshly milled black pepper

...

Over a medium flame, heat the oil. Add the potato and cook for about 10 minutes or until browned. Add the onions and sautee. Add the leek and pepper. Cook 6 to 8 minutes. Add the peas.

In another bowl, beat the eggs and season with salt and pepper. Add parsley and cheese. Pour the mixture over the potato-leek-onion dice. Cook over a medium flame for about 5 minutes. Stir at least twice to distribute the egg mixture. Do not burn the omelette (as I did). Remove the pan from the flame and run under the broiler. Cook until the eggs puff up and turn golden. Serve warm. If you're taking the omelette to a picnic, wrap and refrigerate.

Visit  Jain (...a quiet life) and  Mary (Home Is Where the Boat Is) for

springtime magic--recipes, tablescaping, and more.  You're invited to follow our adventures during Beatrix Potter Week on Pinterest.


You can find Monday's recipe for Cucumber-Strawberry Salad HERE.

Recommended Reading:
Beatrix Potter: At Home in the Lake District by Susan Denyer
Beatrix Potter's Country Cooking by Sara Paston-Williams
Beatrix Potter's Gardening Life by Marta McDowell





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