Summer’s End - Breakfasts
As we pass the September 1 date line,
which this year marks an early Labor Day weekend, one can almost hear the hours
and days ticking away to the end of SUMMER. We savor our short Maine summer seasons,
especially this time of the year.
As the heat and humidity leaves, farm stands and
markets glow in vibrant colors of green, yellow, red and purple of local fruit
and vegetable bounty. A month or more and the sturdy globes of squash and
pumpkin will predominate, but for now we want to squeeze in most of that
goodness in the food on our table.
We prize this abundance in preparation of lunch and
dinner, but breakfast can be an equal venue for such plenty. Peaches, so
plentiful this year, are wonderful on a bowl of breakfast cereal. If you love
blueberry pancakes, you will find peach pancakes a delightful way to start a
morning. For those of us, who prefer a more sturdy breakfast, there are
wonderful ways to combine vegetables in a breakfast meal, especially on
weekends, with a bit more time for preparation.
Ultimate
Huevos Rancheros
Prepare the chopped vegetables before starting to
cook. Chop: 1 medium onion, 1 small red pepper and 2 thin frying peppers, 3
medium tomatoes, ½ cup zucchini, 2 garlic cloves, ¼ cup each Italian parsley
and fresh basil. Have ½ cup grated sharp cheddar on hand. In a large non-stick frying pan sauté the
onion and peppers in 1-2 tblsp. olive oil for 5 minutes on medium heat. Stir in
garlic, tomatoes, zucchini, 1 tblsp. Worcestershire sauce, 1 tblsp. light soy
sauce, ¼ tsp. red pepper flakes (optional), 1 tsp. salt and a dash of black
pepper, 2 tsp. tomato paste and 1/3 cup water. Bring to boil on medium heat,
stir in the parsley and basil and cook with occasional stirring for 15-20
minutes, until vegetables are soft and most of the liquid is absorbed. If
needed, add a bit more water.
With a spoon make a depression in the vegetables and
break an egg into it. Repeat in an adjacent space, leaving the depression
separated by some vegetables. Continue this way for 4 to 6 eggs per pan. Allow
the eggs to cook until some of the white on the bottom has set. Sprinkle the
cheese on the vegetables between the eggs and cover the pan. A cookie sheet
works well if you don’t have a lid large enough for the pan. Allow the cooking
steam to cook the top of the eggs for 1-2 minutes. Remove the lid and serve
with warm flour or corn tortillas on the side. This dish is quite filling and
can serve 2-6 depending on individual appetites and would be even appropriate
for a light supper.
One of my all-time favorite summer
breakfast dishes is the breakfast bake, which can accommodate larger number of
people, visitors or family, since it is prepared in a 9x13 baking dish. To
accommodate our son who requires a gluten free version of this dish, I use a
layer of thinly sliced potatoes in the bottom rather than bread.
Summertime
Breakfast Bake
This can be assembled the night before
and refrigerated, but allow the pan to come to room temperature before placing
a glass dish in the oven.
Scrub and thinly slice 4 large
potatoes in a pot with salted water. Bring to boil, cook for 2 minutes and
drain. Coat the baking dish with non-stick buttery spray and lay the potatoes
in a single layer in the bottom, spread ¼ cup thinly sliced sun-dried tomatoes
and sprinkle with 2 cups grated sharp cheddar. Cook 10 slices of bacon in a pan
and drain on paper towels. In a large bowl beat 10 eggs with 2 cups milk, 1
tsp. salt, ½ tsp. onion powder, 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce, ¼ tsp. pepper.
Pour over the potatoes and cheese. Top with crumbled bacon, ½ cup thinly sliced
mushrooms and thinly sliced tomatoes, interspersed with slivers of Kalamata
olives and press all down in the liquid. Sprinkle with an additional cheese.
Cover and bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour. Uncover for the last 15 minutes of
baking to allow the top to brown. Remove from oven and after 15 minutes cut in
squares and serve with fruit on the side.
Oatmeal can be a life saver on a cold
winter morning in Maine, but summer bounty can make breakfast a most savory
meal for the day.
(I. Winicov
Harrington lives in coastal Maine and is the author of “How to Eat Healthy and
Well for Less than $5.00 a Day: the Smart-Frugal Food Plan”; website:
www.winicov-harrington.com)
