Are you feeling those first stirrings of Fall yet? I know I have been for a couple of weeks now. The nights are much cooler. My bedroom windows are still open at night, but only a crack. The evenings are still very warm but I have pulled out the warmer blankets for the middle of the night when the temperature outside finally drops. I have even had to wear my hoodie a couple of times!
This morning I woke up early looking for my fuzzy blanket. The window had been left wide open and the air in the house was chill and smelled of dew and wildfire. The red sunrise that has been our constant companion thanks to this Summer’s voracious fire season cast a red-orange glow across the bedroom walls. A smokey haze blankets the horizons in every direction. Even our afternoon winds, which show up almost everyday around 4pm, do nothing to wash away the haze.
For some reason we were all starving this morning and everyone wanted a big breakfast early. Usually I have more time on Sundays to prep for breakfast, but I needed something quick and filling today. Breakfast tacos were just the thing. They are super fast and can be made with eggs, tortillas and whatever leftover meats and veggies you have in the fridge. I happened to have a summer squash, some avocado and a tub of baby tomatoes that needed to be eaten. You could use almost anything. Curried potatoes or yams, smashed beans, asparagus and goat cheese. The combinations are endless.
Breakfast Tacos
Amounts are per person
- 2 small corn tortillas
- 1/2 an avocado
- 1 summer squash
- 6 baby tomatoes
- 2 eggs
- salt and pepper
- sprinkle of cumin
- fresh cilantro
- olive oil
Dice the summer squash into small cubes about 1/2 inch square. Heat a large skillet on medium heat until just hot. Pour a dollop of olive oil in the pan and spread around with a spatula until the bottom is covered and the oil is hot, but not smoking. Dump in the squash and spread to cover the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle lightly with salt and cumin. Cook on medium heat without stirring for about 3 minutes. With a spatula gently stir the squash and cook another 3-5 minutes until they are firm but tender. Dump the squash onto a clean cotton or paper towel (to absorb the extra oil) and set aside.
Set the pan aside for a minute and warm the tortillas on the burner if you are using a gas stove. If you have an electric stove warm them in a pan with no or very little oil. Set the warm tortillas on a plate.
Place the pan back on medium heat and add a little more oil if necessary. There should not be very much. Just enough to gloss the bottom of the pan so the eggs don’t stick. When the pan is hot crack two eggs into the pan. They should begin bubbling and cooking right away. If they don’t then your pan was not hot enough. Without touching them, cook the eggs on medium heat for a minute, then turn down the heat to low and cover the pan with a glass lid (preferably). Cook the eggs gently until the white film over the yolk has stiffened slightly, but the yolk is still runny.
While the eggs cook, fill each tortilla with half the squash mixture, slice the avocado and the tomatoes and set aside. When the eggs are done cooking, carefully remove each egg and place inside a taco. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, top with avocado, tomato, and cilantro (I forgot to buy some). I would have loved to add a spoonful of salsa or a squiggle of Tapatío, but I was all out! Enjoy!
Shoots and Roots 