Every few months, a new rule intended to improve life at our house is issued--by me, of course. The latest pronouncement, after considering the USDA's and Dr. Weil's number of recommended daily vegetable servings, states that we should be eating vegetables not only at lunch and supper, but also at breakfast. Harvey, being the appreciative consumer of just about everything I prepare, smiled and urged me on in my effort to continuously improve our diet.
Since then we have had greens for breakfast, carrot sticks as "fruit", and steamed broccoli as an amuse-bouche before delving into the warm comfort of grits and eggs. You might be saying, "Fine. Do what you like at your house." But, as of yesterday, I have pushed the envelope and actually tried out my new rule on unsuspecting friends.
They arrived on one of the coldest days of the year, wrapped in scarves and heavy coats, anticipating some form of classic breakfast fare that would compensate them for having to leave their down-comforted beds--grits, bacon, eggs, toast, orange juice, hot coffee, and more hot coffee. They did not know about my rule, and in my shrewdness, I waited to tell them until after everyone unwrapped and had a cup of coffee placed in front of them. By then it was too late to turn back.
Breakfast began with a small glass of freshly "squeezed" carrot juice (masticated is not a word I use at the breakfast table, though that is, in fact, how carrot juice is made--using my huge twenty-year-old Champion juicer). Guests: weak smiles; Harvey: big grin.
Undaunted, I heat a smear of olive oil in a skillet and drop in ribbons of Swiss chard and spinach, along with a handful of green onions. I light the griddle and drop a small block of butter onto the hot surface, followed quickly by eight eggs. The oven has been on for about twenty minutes heating a dish of lima beans and a loaf of pumpkin bread. Everything comes together in minutes.
The plates are served: Sauteed Chard and Spinach topped with Rosemary Lima Beans, and finished with two fried eggs--whites lacey and crunchy along the edge. The Pumpkin Bread is sliced, warm and spicy. Eyes widen and smiles break at the sight of this rule-breaking breakfast fare. Guests: raves; Harvey, raves.
Now, who can deny that we need to eat vegetables at breakfast!
