The Simple Things in Life

Sometimes, I just crave something simple. And on the occasional Friday, my sweet husband brings home some farm-fresh eggs—straight from a coworker’s farm that morning. The next morning, he fixes me a strong cup of coffee, and we snuggle on the couch as I slowly awaken. (He knows that I don’t like to eat when I first get up!) So we wait awhile, together.

He eventually starts our late breakfast: eggs, sometimes beaten with a dash of milk or cream, then scrambled. These fresh eggs are unbelievably yellow! Meanwhile, I toast the bread. When the eggs are just cooked through, he smothers them in grated cheese, usually extra sharp cheddar or pepper jack, and pops them under the broiler. Besides melting the cheese, this makes the eggs puff up.

He always tells me to fix my sandwich first, because he knows I am pickier about how I construct it. Of course, this means he gets all the eggs that are left over, so he has a bigger sandwich! A little salt and pepper, and we are set. Okay, one quirk here concerning eggs—I have to use the pepper that you buy very finely ground rather than grinding it fresh. If I ever get the slightest hint of crunch from the pepper, it makes me think of eggshells.

It would be easy to add other things to the sandwich. I think tossing in diced onions and bell pepper while you are scrambling the eggs would be nice. Very rarely, we add a couple of thin crispy slices of bacon. You could also include a bit of sausage, diced ham, pulled beef/pork/chicken, or pancetta. Some spinach would be tasty, and mushrooms, if you like them. Herbs such as chives or dill, or perhaps a hollandaise instead of the mayo and cheese, would be a nice twist...but sometimes simple is the best option!