Melancholy Breakfast
by Frank O'Hara
Melancholy breakfast
blue overhead blue underneath
the silent egg thinks
and the toaster's electrical
ear waits
the stars are in
"that cloud is hid"
the elements of disbelief are
very strong in the morning.
by Frank O'Hara
Melancholy breakfast
blue overhead blue underneath
the silent egg thinks
and the toaster's electrical
ear waits
the stars are in
"that cloud is hid"
the elements of disbelief are
very strong in the morning.
Frank really does nail it here, doesn't he? For the past few months, I've been waking very early, always before 6am, usually to finish a bit of work, but that's the pale justification. In truth, I've come to relish my early morning rites, the diaphanous blue light beginning to light the sky through the fogged windows,wrapping a light robe tightly around my waist, quietly measuring, spooning, preparing the coffee, the silent reverence of the morning suffusing my every action with a prayer-like contemplation. There is something delicious in the secrecy of the early waking, your only companions the gray birds whispering flight through the trees and telephone wires, just beginning their greetings to the dawn. Even the eggs I palm, preparing for the pan, seem to be transposed from an infinitely mysterious sleep as they suddenly, with a hard crack, yield their gorgeous golden crowns to the morning. Frank (I feel I know him so intimately, I can't call him by anything but his first name) shares my affinity for the "silent egg" in the early morning, but I've included a far more robust recipe, more appropriate to the vigor of a yellow 9am, but also perfect eaten cold and leftover, solitary, on these blue mornings.
Tomato, Greens , and Goat Cheese Frittata
Chop tomatoes roughly. Don't discard the seeds and juice! They will add succulence to the frittata. Chop your washed greens finely. Heat frying pan with 2 TBSP oil over low-medium heat and add garlic and shallots, for 3 or 4 minutes, until shallots are translucent. Add tomato, with juices, mustard, and greens. Sautee lightly ( you can work on your crossword puzzle or listen to NPR while the mix warms), stirring ever so often. Now, preheat your oven to the Boiler setting. Crack your eggs in a bowl and stir/whip lightly, with salt and pepper. If you prefer to streamline and are absorbed in other morning things, don't bother to whip the eggs, simply crack the eggs and let them stream out of the shells between your hands, a wonder unapreciated in cooking, then stir to mix the yolk. Add to the pan, mixing a few times. Cook, undisturbed, over low-medium heat, for 5 minutes, or until egg has begun to 'set', ie, appear less liquidy and more wobbly. Add the goat or feta cheese, daubing chunks in little circles around the pan, much like a margarita pizza. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs and herbs. Put the entire pan in oven, previously pre-heated to the broiler setting. If you are worried that your pan's plastic handle may not be heat-safe, wrap in 2-3 layers of foil, though it won't be in for too long, and I've never had a problem with this. Let cook in oven for 5 minutes, checking often to observe progress. When the cheese and breadcrumbs are melty and lightly browned (it may take longer than 5 min, given your boiler settings), remove carefully. Let cool, and enjoy a silky, protein rich breakfast. To pump this simple recipe up for a dinner, add cooked pasta(macaronis are best) leftover from a pasta dinner, and a bit more tomato and cheese. No one will ever know how little time this lovely recipe took to whip up!
4 whole brown organic eggs
Bunch of red-veined kale, spinach, beet greens or whatever greens you prefer
Bunch of red-veined kale, spinach, beet greens or whatever greens you prefer
8-10 oz of goat or feta cheese, fresh
4 organic tomatoes, or (in the winter) 10 sun dried tomatoes
1 clove garlic, minced
1 shallot, minced
Roughly chopped dill, parsley, chives (to taste)
1/2 cup Panko/Japanese bread crumbs
2 TBSP light olive oil
1 TBSP grainy fie mustard
Salt, pepper to taste
4 organic tomatoes, or (in the winter) 10 sun dried tomatoes
1 clove garlic, minced
1 shallot, minced
Roughly chopped dill, parsley, chives (to taste)
1/2 cup Panko/Japanese bread crumbs
2 TBSP light olive oil
1 TBSP grainy fie mustard
Salt, pepper to taste
Chop tomatoes roughly. Don't discard the seeds and juice! They will add succulence to the frittata. Chop your washed greens finely. Heat frying pan with 2 TBSP oil over low-medium heat and add garlic and shallots, for 3 or 4 minutes, until shallots are translucent. Add tomato, with juices, mustard, and greens. Sautee lightly ( you can work on your crossword puzzle or listen to NPR while the mix warms), stirring ever so often. Now, preheat your oven to the Boiler setting. Crack your eggs in a bowl and stir/whip lightly, with salt and pepper. If you prefer to streamline and are absorbed in other morning things, don't bother to whip the eggs, simply crack the eggs and let them stream out of the shells between your hands, a wonder unapreciated in cooking, then stir to mix the yolk. Add to the pan, mixing a few times. Cook, undisturbed, over low-medium heat, for 5 minutes, or until egg has begun to 'set', ie, appear less liquidy and more wobbly. Add the goat or feta cheese, daubing chunks in little circles around the pan, much like a margarita pizza. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs and herbs. Put the entire pan in oven, previously pre-heated to the broiler setting. If you are worried that your pan's plastic handle may not be heat-safe, wrap in 2-3 layers of foil, though it won't be in for too long, and I've never had a problem with this. Let cook in oven for 5 minutes, checking often to observe progress. When the cheese and breadcrumbs are melty and lightly browned (it may take longer than 5 min, given your boiler settings), remove carefully. Let cool, and enjoy a silky, protein rich breakfast. To pump this simple recipe up for a dinner, add cooked pasta(macaronis are best) leftover from a pasta dinner, and a bit more tomato and cheese. No one will ever know how little time this lovely recipe took to whip up!
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