The Garden Apartment

Serendipity: Pesto Drizzled Eggs- Over- Easy

A nearly empty fridge containing only a few fateful ingredients resulted in this delicious dish: pesto drizzled eggs-over-easy.

Earlier this summer, John and I awoke one Saturday morning to find an almost empty fridge. This was an awful discovery because Saturday is the day we relish a good breakfast: typically an omelet made from whatever veggies, meats, or cheeses are available.

The problem on this particular Saturday was that a deep search of the fridge and pantries uncovered not a single vegetable. None. And as for cheese? Only Parmesan cheese was available, which hardly qualifies for the rich melty stuff I prefer in an overstuffed omelet.

John scoured the shelves. "We have pesto," he announced. And, in this moment I could almost hear the super-hero theme music playing in the background, as John became my Saturday morning knight in shining armor (rescuing us from a boring breakfast).

Let me explain that this was no ordinary pesto. It was a homemade pesto with fresh basil and arugula.

We fried eggs-over-easy (over-medium for John), drizzled them with basil-arugula pesto, then topped it all off with some shredded Parmesan.

This accidental combination has become a household favorite. Since we generally have pesto around, this is a relatively effortless breakfast to whip together. And now, with tomatoes at peak summertime flavor, we are enjoying this breakfast with a sliced heirloom tomato on the side.

Pesto Drizzled Eggs Over Easy (or Medium, or however you like)

Basil-Arugula Pesto

You can make regular pesto, of course. This pesto has a nice peppery flavor from the arugula leaves.

• 2 Cups Basil leaves
• 2 medium garlic cloves, minced     
• 1/4 Cup toasted walnuts or pine nuts 
• 1 Cup Arugula leaves
• 1/4 Cup Parmesan Cheese  
• 1/4 Cup Olive Oil, plus more for drizzling  
• dash or two of lemon (optional) 

Combine the first five ingredients in a food processor. Pulse until combined. Slowly add the olive oil and continue to pulse until well integrated. If desired, add a dash or two of lemon juice.

This recipe will make more than enough pesto. You will have leftover pesto for dipping in bread or adding to pasta.

{The pesto will store in the fridge for up to a week, or you can freeze it in a ziplock bag for later use. Simply place the bag in a bowl of warm water to thaw when you are ready to use the pesto.}

Make the Eggs

Make as many eggs-over-easy as desired.

Put it all together

Whisk a little olive oil into 2 TB of the pesto until the consistency is slightly runny. Drizzle the pesto on top of the eggs. If desired, sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Serve with a sliced ripe tomato, or any other side of your choice.

And now, if serendipity is defined as the act of making fortunate discoveries by accident. . . well, I just can't imagine a better example.

French Toast with Bourbon Peaches and Sugared Walnuts

The perfect summer weekend breakfast: cinnamon french toast drenched with delicious fresh peaches in a bourbon sauce topped off with sugared walnuts.

There are few things I believe with full conviction, but this I can say with complete confidence: breakfast doesn't get much better than this. And truth be told, this is a pretty simple breakfast to create, so long as you have 30 minutes on a lazy Saturday or Sunday morning to whip it together.

French Toast with Bourbon Peaches and Sugared Walnuts

Serves 2 people; 25 minutes total cook time

• 4  1 inch thick slices of day old white bread
• 2 Eggs
• 1 TB milk
• 3 tsp cinnamon, separated
• 1/2 tsp coconut extract (optional)
• 2 Fresh Peaches, sliced 
• Dash of Bourbon
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup walnuts, chopped 
• 1 TB powdered sugar, plus more for sprinkling on top
• 1-2 TB butter

It's easiest to put this all together if you begin by making the toppings. Set them aside while making the toast, and everything will automatically be ready at the same time.

Toast and sugar the walnuts: In a small frying pan, toast the walnuts over medium heat until they are lightly browned. An easy way to know they are done is when you can smell them. Add 1 tsp of the cinnamon. Remove from heat. Once they are cooled off, add some powdered sugar and mix.

Make the bourbon peaches: In a medium frying pan, heat a little butter, the sliced peaches, brown sugar, 1 tsp of the cinnamon, and a splash of the bourbon over medium heat. Cook for 5-7 minutes, until the peaches are nicely caramelized. Leave in the pan, and turn off the heat.

Make the french toast: Whisk together the egg, milk, remaining 1 tsp cinnamon, and optional coconut extract. In the meantime, melt the 2 TB butter in a medium frying pan over medium-high heat. Dip each slice of bread in the egg mixture until well coated. Place in the frying pan and fry until each side is golden brown.

* Tip: While the french toast is cooking, remember those peaches still on the burner? Go ahead and turn the burner back on over low heat so the peaches are nice and warm when the toast is ready.

Serve: Serve each person two pieces of toast, topped with bourbon peaches, sugared walnuts, and a little extra powdered sugar (if desired). You may also have some peach and brown sugar syrup leftover in the peaches pan that you will want to drizzle on top.

Does it get any better than this? Doubtful.

Di(sh)patch from Old Town: Mozzarella omelet with fresh herbs

My trip to the Old Town Alexandria market yesterday was richly rewarded with new treats from some of my favorite vendors. Read on to hear more about Bigg Riggs Farm, Spring Valley Farm and Orchard, Blue Ridge Dairy, and Babes in the Wood.  My recipe for Mozzarella Omelet with fresh herbs is at the end of this market di(sh)patch.

I had only planned to drop by the Old Town market yesterday morning before heading up to Del Ray on my constant quest for local raspberries.  My plan was to purchase some of that Big Riggs ramp mustard I raved about a few weeks ago.  My mother-in-law has been asking for some so that she could try my ramp mustard roasted potatoes. 

When I arrived at the Bigg Riggs stand, I was amazed to see the amount of fantastic produce available: beautiful cherries, fresh salad greens, scallions, strawberries, and new potatoes.  I snatched up most of the above mentioned along with my Ramp Mustard.  I stopped to chat with Calvin of Bigg Riggs about the burst of fruits and vegetables at their stand. Since I visited their stand throughout the winter, I have become accustomed to the sight of all their wonderful jams, jellies, and other preserved goods. Yesterday, I took note of a recent addition at their stand-- strawberry daiquiri mix! After a long chat, he invited me to come out to their West Virginia farm sometime this summer. I look forward to visiting and seeing how things operate out there. 

I was so inspired by the abundance of produce at the Bigg Riggs stand that I decided to venture on throughout the Old Town market to see what the other producers were offering. I will point out again that you should ask a lot of questions when shopping at the Old Town farmers market since some of the vendors do not make or grow their own products.  Everyone I mention in this di(sh)patch is a producer and sells only products produced on their farms.

As I walked through the market, I was delighted to see the Blue Ridge Dairy-- whose products I have enjoyed in the past purchased at the Sunday DuPont Circle market.  I picked up some of their buffalo style mozzarella.  I also bought some of their Honey Yo yogurt-- which would go really nicely with the cherries from Bigg Riggs.

When I arrived at Spring Valley Farm and Orchardstand my jaw may have actually fell open.  They had piles full of bright gold and neon purple cauliflower.  I had never seen anything quite like it. They also had baby zucchini, baby squash, radishes, bunches of multi-colored beets, baby cucumbers, and much more. 

How incredible are these cauliflowers? Apparently these are not the result of any sort of genetic engineering, but rather the result of selective breeding.  And, not surprisingly, studies show these varieties to have higher concentrations of vitamins and nutrients. The orange cauliflower may have up to 25 times the concentration of the white varieties! This is a good example of how accustomed we get to standardized vegetables (tomato= red, carrot= orange, cauliflower= white).  In reality, there are many varieties of vegetables.  I can't wait to try out my rainbow of cauliflower.

At this point, I decided the Old Town market had really satisfied my need for produce, and knew I had better get some meat for the week. I went to Babes in the Wood-- one of my favorite places to purchase pork. I selected a rack of baby back ribs, a product I've really enjoyed in the past. Babes in the Woods goes well beyond the concept of free range. Their pigs are "forest fed" and live in a pigs most natural habitat. They allow no more than 2-3 pigs per acre, which means that their pigs get plenty of exercise. Additionally, their farm has a very low environmental impact because it is not overcrowded like most factory farms. Visitors are welcome at the farm, which is about 40 miles south of Charlottesville. Apparently, most visitors are surprised when they pull in the farm's driveway because the pigs tend to run alongside their cars! Now that's something I have to see!   

When I arrived home, it struck me that I had everything I needed to make a (relatively) local breakfast for this week's One Local Summer challenge. I'm a little over the 100 mile mark with a few of these, but here it goes:

Mozzarella Omelet with fresh herbs

• Three eggs-- Highfield Dairy (120 miles)
• 1 clove of garlic, crushed-- Sunnyside Farm and Orchard (71 miles)
• Fresh basil-- my backyard (0 miles)
• Fresh oregano-- my backyard (0 miles)
• Fresh mozzarella-- Blue Ridge Dairy (44 miles)
• Half of a tomato, diced-- southern MD (35-40 miles)
• Salt, pepper, oil-- not local

Heat the oil in a medium frying pan.  Add crushed garlic and saute for 1-2 minutes. In the meantime, whisk the eggs with a little salt and pepper.  Pour the eggs into the frying pan and add the fresh herbs and tomatoes.When the mixture begins to cook, add small slices of mozzarella.  Cover until egg is completely cooked.  Fold in half and serve.

I served the omelet with cherries from Bigg Riggs Farm and Honey Yo Yogurt from the Blue Ridge Dairy.

A delicious breakfast.  Now, what to do with the rest of the wonderful produce I bought?