gourmet brunch for two :: italian egg scramble with arugula salad

On the menu: tomato & basil egg scramble; arugula salad
with balsamic vinaigrette; english muffin with rosemary butter

Whenever I spend a weekend at my parents' house in Connecticut, my absolute favorite thing to do is cook for my family. Maybe it's the fact that they have an actual kitchen that fits multiple human beings inside it, and that it seems to always be stocked with the ingredients that I don't have on-hand in my little city apartment.

But mostly, I just relish the opportunity to cook for someone other than myself once in a while -- particularly, my wonderful mother. (I cook for my dad too, mind you, but he has an aversion to cheese in all forms that I simply cannot support, thus posing a bit of a challenge.)

So this morning, I decided to treat my mom to a simple yet gourmet vegetarian brunch -- a version of a meal I've made numerous times, altering slightly based on whatever ingredients I have available. There's nothing extraordinary or challenging about this meal; the key to its deliciousness is the quality of ingredients and elevation of fresh, vibrant flavors.

The ingredients (for two plates):

Large handful of grape tomatoes
1-2 garlic cloves
Arugula
5 large eggs
Large handful of mozzarella cheese
Fresh basil (maybe 10 leaves or so)
Two whole wheat english muffins
Olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
Salt & pepper

As always, I try to keep all ingredients organic and of the highest quality available. (Eggs especially should always be cage free.) I would have loved to use fresh, local mozzarella, but I had the shredded kind in the fridge and was workin' with what I got.

Simple whipped rosemary butter

I started by halving the tomatoes, then dropping them into a large skillet with some heated olive oil (medium-low heat.) As those cooked down, I cracked the eggs into a bowl and scrambled them, and started on a couple simple condiments:

Balsamic Vinaigrette -- simply whisk approximately three parts olive oil with one part balsamic vinegar, and season liberally with salt and pepper.

Whipped Rosemary Butter -- soften unsalted butter in a dish, then use a fork to whip in rosemary (I didn't have fresh so used dried) and salt and pepper.

As the tomatoes continued to cook, I added the finely minced garlic to the skillet. Once the tomatoes had broken down and softened quite a bit, I lowered the heat and added the scrambled eggs, stirring occasionally as they cooked. Once the eggs start to come together, you can add the mozzarella cheese so it starts melting down.

Then, season the eggs with salt and pepper, and once they're close to being done, fold in the finely chopped basil.



At this point, all that's left is to toss some arugula with your balsamic vinaigrette, spread a couple toasted english muffins with your rosemary butter, and plate.

Ingredient quality is key; balsamic vinegar from Modena

This dish is exceptionally simple, but the flavor profile is truly outstanding. Anyone can throw together scrambled eggs and veggies, but the particular flavors of these high-quality ingredients, seasoned properly, create something exquisite. The sweet fragrance of the tomatoes and basil, the salty richness of the rosemary butter, the bite of the arugula and vinegar -- all come together in a perfect plate sure to impress any brunch companion.

But for me... nothing beats sitting with my mom on a Sunday morning, digging into this dish with a cup of strong coffee, looking at maps of Italy and daydreaming of someday, somehow.

Cheers,
A