Classic Breakfast With A Twist

 My all time favorite five minute breakfast is the quick two egg scramble topped with grated cheddar cheese and two strips of crispy microwaved bacon on top of a crispy, porous slice of hearty sourdough bread. On the weekends, when I have a little more time to devote to cooking my morning meal, I like to explore variations on this classic.

Yesterday I spent an early morning hour with my friend Leslie who has a full scale garden in her backyard. We walked the aisles of her sturdy garden boxes, followed by her green bean picking daughter Elle, all the while stuffing a big white canvas bag full of over-running and flush treats for me. Massive cabbages and wild kale and eggplant. But my favorite was the rich and mellow thyme sprigs that I couldn't wait to bring home and translate into this morning's new scrambled eggs dish. Instead of bacon, I sauteed a few turkey kielbasa slices and put all of it atop a slice of whole wheat bread. Bell warning comfort for the morning.

Creamy Scrambled Eggs with Parmesan and Thyme

Serves 4

You’ll need:

2 tablespoons butter

8 large eggs

¼ cup crème fraiche or sour cream

½ cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated

6 3-inch long sprigs of thyme

salt

pepper

Instructions:

Crack the eggs into a mixing bowl and whisk them until the yolks and whites are well combined. Strip the thyme leaves off their stems and add them to the eggs. Whisk in the crème fraiche and Parmesan. The crème fraiche will look a bit lumpy once it’s mixed with the eggs. Don’t worry—just make sure it is evenly distributed within the egg mixture.

Heat a 10- to 12-inch cast iron skillet over medium low heat.  Add the butter and swirl it around in the pan as it melts, coating the sides. When the butter begins to foam, pour the egg mixture into the skillet. Immediately begin stirring the eggs with a fork, scraping the edges of the pan as you go. Don’t be tempted to cook the eggs on medium or medium high heat–they will stick to the pan and develop a rubbery texture.

When the fork begins to leave a trail in the pan, set the pan onto a cool burner and continue stirring the eggs vigorously for about 30 seconds. This helps prevent the eggs for sticking and encourages the development of big curds. Place the pan back on the burner and continue stirring, lifting the eggs from the bottom and folding them over the top as they thicken. Continue cooking the eggs until they develop a soft, pillowy texture. Remove from the heat, and shower with thyme, flaked salt and pepper. Serve immediately with buttered toast.