These eggs are yet more evidence that you can shove as many vegetables as you want into a meal. Who would have thought that a serving of simple scrambled eggs could hold a full leek and a tomato too? But they can, and they do, and you should try it. The results are phenomenal -- sweet and rich and bursting with leek and tomato flavor.

While these are super easy, they take a half hour or so to cook thanks to the slow collapse of the leeks and tomatoes. Don't worry, though! They are totally worth it. Just have them for a weekend breakfast or brunch instead of on a busy Monday morning.

Because scrambled eggs are so versatile, you can play around with this recipe as much as you like. In fact, you can play around with pretty much any recipe as much as you like, but let's just go with the egg logic here.

If you want to add cheese, I recommend something in the swiss/gruyere/emmenthaler category. Or go whole hog and whack in a slab of fontina or brie. It's all good.

If you want to add more vegetables, I think greens are an excellent choice. Wilt in some spinach or a couple handfuls of shredded cabbage (yes, cabbage -- it'll suck up the leek and tomato flavor beautifully) just before you add the eggs to the pan. Food can always use more greens!

And, of course, you could mix this up even further with some different herbs. I think adding a few branches of fresh thyme at the beginning of the braise would be really something. Just remember to pick out the woody stems before the egg stage.

Serves 2.


Eggs with butter-braised leeks and tomatoes

2 tbsp butter
2-3 leeks
2 medium tomatoes
optional dash of white wine or dry vermouth
4 eggs
salt, pepper
fresh parsley
hot toast to serve

Melt your butter in a skillet on medium heat.

Clean your leeks by splitting them longways in fourths, leaving the root end intact. Rinse well to remove any dirt. Leeks are grimy, so be thorough!

When your leeks are clean, cut them into inch-long pieces. Add your leeks to your melted butter and stir to coat. Season with a little salt and cook slowly, stirring occasionally, for about ten minutes. You want your leeks to collapse and get soft and lovely and buttery all over.

While you're waiting, wash your tomatoes and chop them up finely. I used fresh, but you could use a couple of skinned canned tomatoes here if you prefer.

Add your tomatoes to your braised leeks, stir, and raise the heat a touch. Cook for another five to ten minutes, or until your tomatoes have given off all their juice and are starting to look dry. Deglaze the pan with a splash of dry vermouth or wine if you like.

Crack your eggs into a bowl, season with salt and lots of pepper, and mix well. Add your eggs to your pan and cook until they reach your desired texture. Stir everything around frequently for a classic small-curd scrambled egg texture.

When your eggs are done, add a handful of chopped fresh parsley to the pan and stir it in.

Serve your eggs on pieces of hot buttered toast, with another handful of parsley scattered over the top. Drink coffee. Isn't it great?

What's your favorite way to get more vegetables into breakfast? (Perhaps in smoothie form? That certainly works.)