By The support group that Dr. Crain connected me to has been meeting for six months now. Online still, which I've come to think of as a feature rather than a limitation — it pulls people in from places where showing up in person would require an hour of driving, which in rural areas is a real barrier. There's a man from a ranch in Wyoming and a woman from a small town in Idaho and several others from places I know only as general geography. The specific circumstances are all different. The thing underneath is recognizable across the differences.
I've been thinking about what I wrote last month in the foreword for Tom's book — about paying attention to one place for long enough that you begin to see what it's made of. I think the support group is a version of that. You pay attention to the interior territory for long enough that you begin to see what it's made of. The same principle, different material.
Garden is fully planted. This year Mom has a kitchen herb section along the south fence, new addition — basil, tarragon, chive, several varieties of thyme, French sorrel which she'd never grown before but wanted to try. She sent a picture of it to her sister in Minnesota who has a garden of her own, and the two of them have been exchanging notes on varieties which I overhear and which seems like one of the better uses of the internet available to people in their late sixties.
Made asparagus from the garden — the bed established now after three years of building the crowns, this year its first real harvest. Roasted at high heat with olive oil and salt until the tips char slightly. Ate them with soft-boiled eggs and sourdough toast. The best asparagus is the one you waited three years for. That's true of a lot of things.
The asparagus I wrote about — roasted hard at high heat, eaten with eggs and toast — reminded me that the simplest preparations are often the most earned. These Breakfast Eggs in Foil Bowls are the recipe I keep returning to when I want that same quality: minimal fuss, real ingredients, the kind of meal that asks you to slow down a little and actually taste what’s in front of you. If you have asparagus on hand, lay a few spears alongside. It fits.
Breakfast Eggs in Foil Bowls
Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 15 min | Total Time: 25 min | Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 8 large eggs
- 1/2 cup diced bell pepper (any color)
- 1/2 cup diced onion
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup cooked crumbled bacon or diced ham
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or melted butter
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Fresh chives or parsley, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat and prep. Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Tear four large sheets of heavy-duty aluminum foil, each roughly 12 inches square.
- Form the bowls. Fold up the edges of each foil sheet to create a shallow bowl shape with sides about 1 to 1 1/2 inches high. Place the foil bowls on a rimmed baking sheet.
- Add the base. Drizzle a little olive oil or melted butter into each foil bowl. Divide the diced bell pepper, onion, and bacon or ham evenly among the four bowls. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
- Add the eggs. Crack two eggs into each foil bowl, keeping the yolks intact if you prefer them runny. Season again lightly with salt and pepper.
- Top with cheese. Sprinkle shredded cheddar evenly over each bowl.
- Bake. Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the egg whites are fully set and the yolks are cooked to your liking — 12 minutes for slightly soft yolks, 15 minutes for fully set.
- Serve. Remove from the oven and let cool for one minute. Garnish with fresh chives or parsley if desired and serve directly in the foil bowls alongside sourdough toast or roasted asparagus.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 280 | Protein: 18g | Fat: 20g | Carbs: 5g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 420mg