Vegetable Sourdough Strata

You could call it strata but really this is a very simple, savory bread pudding: glorified scrambled eggs with the benefit of cream, vegetables and sourdough mixed together into one dish. This is what warm weather dining starts to look like around here. Whatever can be thrown into a bowl, seasoned without much thought and baked in one pan is a winner as the demands of springtime duties increasingly call us out-of-doors. It would be a lie to post a recipe, because there never has been one under this roof, but strata doesn't really need one. The method goes like this:

Preheat oven to 375.
Butter a 9x13 baking dish. 

Cut about 5 slices of high quality sourdough or country style bread into 1 inch cubes and transfer to the buttered dish. 

Place whatever chopped vegetables you own (like onion, garlic, broccoli, carrots, mushrooms, summer squash, spinach, cherry tomatoes) in with the sourdough and gently incorporate with your hands. 

Top with crumbled feta or goat cheese. 

Whisk about 5 or 6 super fresh eggs with about 3 cups whole milk (raw if you can get your hands on it) and douse with cream (same as above). 

Season with sea salt and black pepper. Grate in some sharp cheddar. Whisk.

Pour egg mixture over contents of baking dish. 

Bake until center puffs and top is golden. 

Sprinkle with whatever fresh herbs you happen upon.

The end.