Brunch, it’s what happens on Sundays.

I’ll be honest, breakfast is not my favorite meal of the day. It’s not that I don’t like breakfast foods – I’m a caffeine-based organism and eggs and toast rule my world – I just take an issue with the specific timeframe.

There are days when I’m a “morning person,” and then there’s the other 360 days of the year. Waking up refreshed and ready to tackle the day is a fairly rare occurrence, which probably means I’ll died when I’m 58 or some other early age. OK, maybe I’m being a bit dramatic on my sleeping habits (it’s not that bad Mom, I swear). Regardless, breakfast is great, but I’m a huge fan of brunch.

Brunch is lovely because you can still have baked eggs, but people won’t look at you oddly if you scrape avocado over your toast rather than jam. Pizza also sometimes makes an appearance, which is rarely a bad thing.

As I’ve said before, I’m a fan of English domestic goddess Nigella Lawson. And since I’ve had the absolute pleasure of leafing through her cookbook “Nigella Express,” I’ve fallen in love with her breakfast bruschetta.

I like to stay away from the cloying sweet breakfasts I craved as a kid, and since I love avocados, this recipe definitely earns a spot on the regular rotation.

Breakfast Bruschetta, from Nigella Lawson’s “Nigella Express,” page 90, serves 3-6 depending on appetite

For Tomato Bruschetta

2 Tbs. olive oil

2 thickly sliced short pieces sourdough toast (I used rye toast because it’s what I had)

1 ripe tomato, approx. 4 oz., roughly chopped (I used 10 cherry tomatoes because it’s all I had and I’m only serving one person)

salt and pepper to taste

For Avocado Bruschetta

1 ripe avocado

2 tsp. lime juice (I added about 1/2 tsp. lime zest as well)

salt and pepper to taste

4 thickly sliced short pieces sourdough toast (again I used rye toast)

1 Tbs. fresh parsley, chopped (I subbed in fresh cilantro because I had it on hand)

Method

1. Drizzle most of the olive oil over toast. Top with chopped tomatoes, season with salt and pepper and drizzle with remaining oil.

2. Remove avocado flesh from skin and mash in a bowl with lime juice (and zest). Season with salt and pepper to taste. Spread on toast and sprinkle with the parsley (or cilantro). I actually added the cilantro right into the avocado instead of sprinkling on top. For some reason I feel it’s less likely to get stuck in my teeth that way. Go figure.

Notes on my substitutions

• I know sourdough would be so good, but I didn’t have any sourdough toast on hand. Plus, I love rye toast. It’s all I ever order at Denny’s. I think it’s a Swedish thing. Swedes seem to dig the rye/caraway flavor.

• Parsley would be great in this, but I’m a sucker for cilantro and I had it on hand, so you do the math.

 

Ms. Green(ish) Thumbs

So April, where did you go? Have I really let another month slip by without posting? Apparently.

The first couple weeks of April were rather benign. I attended classes, completed homework and wrote articles. However, during the weekend of April 3rd, I crossed somthing off my “college to do” list: I bought plants!

What? Why are you giving me that blank look? Is that not what you expect from a college senior?

Sorry to disappoint any who were hoping for a scandalous story of collegiate debauchery, but that’s not my style.

Every year since I started school, I have said that once I was in my own apartment I’d have an herb garden. Well last year came and went with not a speck of potting soil to be found.

There’s a reason for the lack of flora in my life. In the past I have been more poisonous to plants than Roundup. Remember that science project in fifth grade, the one with the pea plants? You we’re learning about dominant and recessive genes, and your teacher had you plant pea seeds in Dixie cups.

In a week every cup had a bright, perky pea shoot pushing its way through the dirt — every cup, that is, except the one with “Lizzie” scrawled on the side. I was devastated. I come from a family with very good gardeners. I felt like I was letting down the family.

Grandpa, Grandma and me at Christmas Eve 2008

Growing up, my most vibrant memories come from the days spent at my grandparents house. My grandpartent’s house sits on a rather large plot of land, a little over an acre. In my youth the layout looked like this: the house at the front of the lot, behind that is the pool house, the pool, the one-hole golf course and the garden.

Because of their advancing ages and increaseing health issues, Grandpa and Grandma decided to fill in the pool about eight years ago. The old pool house sits unused and is rapidly being invaded by nearby tree roots. The golf course is buried under tall grasses. And sadly, even the garden is gone.

But what a garden it was. Rows of cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, beans, corn, lettuce and squash. I remember having the job of “picking” the tomatoes with my cousins. More of those glorious red orbs ended up in our mouths than the baskets. When we’d come in with our haul, the parents would remark at our smaller than expected crop. We would shrug and giggle at the tomato juice staining our shirts.

Grandpa’s cherry tomatoes were exclusively red, but here are some delicious heirlooms!

After the pea plant fiasco, I hung up my gardening gloves and didn’t touch a spade for years. I dropped the “zie” from my name and became “Liz,” who only helped her father occassionally weed the yard. The only plants that worked for me were plastic and tended to melt in direct sunlight.

That is until now. (I hope I’m not jinxing myself here.)

Back to the weekend of April 3rd. I was at the local farmers market (“no apostrophe,” according to the 2007 AP Stylebook…yes, I’m a word geek). I saw these beautiful Better Boy tomato plants just waiting for me to buy them. I also picked up some Italian parsley (commonly known as flat-leaf parsley).

Four Better Boy tomato plants and four parsley plants. Probably overcrowding the pot…whatever.

Harvest time: about 80 days, according to the lady who sold them to me.

See it has a flat leaf unlike the curly kind used most for garnishing. Apparently flat leaf has more flavor.

The above pictures were taken on April 3rd. The ones below were taken today, May 3rd.

Hello Audrey 2?

Fancy helicopter shot!

Is parsley just supposed to be a tangled mess?

Whatever I’m doing, or not doing, I’m just going to let the plants do their thing. If you have any gardening tips, please share them.

Have a wonderful spring.