Lucy Wang's Elevated Avocado Toast — What James Taught Me About Herbs and Simple Things

The garden is going in again. Tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, squash, beans. Same raised bed, same soil, same stubborn faith that dirt and water and time will produce food, which they will because dirt and water and time have never failed me, unlike most other things. Added a row of herbs this year — basil, thyme, rosemary, oregano — because James showed me how herbs transform the simplest dishes and I am not too old or too Appalachian to learn from a Nigerian pediatric surgeon who can cook.

Connie is in full mother-of-the-bride mode, which is a mode I have learned to navigate by agreeing with everything and disappearing to the garden when the agreement runs out. She bought a dress. She showed it to me. I said it's beautiful. She said you didn't look. I said I don't need to look, you're wearing it and that makes it beautiful. She said that's the right answer. It was the right answer. Thirty-three years of marriage is basically a course in giving the right answer at the right time while standing in the right place, which is usually the garden.

The lungs are stable. The inhaler morning and night, the breathing exercises before bed, the walking every morning. Spring air is easier than winter air — warmer, moister, gentler on the bronchial tubes. I can feel the difference the way you can feel the difference between a sharp knife and a dull one — both cut, but one requires less effort, and effort is currency I'm learning to budget.

The first thing I cut from the new herb row was basil — just a few leaves, still warm from the afternoon sun — and I thought of James saying herbs are the difference between eating and tasting. He’s right, and I don’t say that lightly. This avocado toast is exactly what he meant: a simple thing made generous by what you scatter on top of it. Connie had one bite and stopped talking about seating arrangements for a full three minutes, which is its own kind of miracle.

Lucy Wang’s Elevated Avocado Toast

Prep Time: 5 minutes | Cook Time: 5 minutes | Total Time: 10 minutes | Servings: 2

Ingredients

• 2 thick slices sourdough or whole grain bread, toasted
• 1 large ripe avocado, halved and pitted
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 small clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon flaky sea salt, plus more to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons fresh basil leaves, torn
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 soft-boiled or poached egg per slice (optional)
• Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Toast the bread. Toast your bread slices until golden and sturdy enough to hold the toppings without going soggy. Set aside on a flat surface.
2. Mash the avocado. Scoop the avocado flesh into a small bowl. Add the lemon juice, minced garlic, and 1/4 teaspoon sea salt. Mash with a fork to your preferred texture — some people like it chunky, some like it smooth. Both are right.
3. Spread and season. Divide the avocado mixture evenly between the two toast slices, spreading it all the way to the edges. Sprinkle red pepper flakes and cracked black pepper over the top.
4. Add the herbs. Scatter the torn basil and fresh thyme leaves generously over each slice. This is not the moment to be stingy — the herbs are the point.
5. Finish with oil. Drizzle each slice with 1 teaspoon of extra-virgin olive oil. Add a pinch more flaky salt if needed.
6. Top with egg (optional). If using, place a soft-boiled or poached egg on top of each slice. The yolk running into the herbs and avocado is not a mistake — it’s the plan.
7. Serve immediately. Avocado toast waits for no one. Eat it while the bread is still warm and the herbs are still bright.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 320 | Protein: 8g | Fat: 19g | Carbs: 30g | Fiber: 7g | Sodium: 380mg