Author Notes
So simple it is barely a recipe, this is my favorite late summer breakfast. I could say that I made it up, as it went straight from my head to my hand to my mouth, via the oven. But I'm sure it has been invented before and will be invented again. It can be made even more simply, if you just leave out the mushrooms. You would, however, need to change the name. It depends on proper local, unrefrigerated ripe tomatoes. This is nice with toasted pitas or buttered toast fingers, and very hot, very good coffee must be served. —Lindy
Ingredients
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4
large ripe homegrown tomatoes
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4 teaspoons
butter
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2 teaspoons
tarragon, fresh (or 4 pinches dried)
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8
good sized mushrooms
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seasalt and freshly ground pepper
Directions
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Preheat oven to 450F. Set 4 ramekins on a cookie sheet.
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Cut a thin slice from the top of each tomato, and hollow each out, leaving the side walls intact. A melon baller works well for this. Set each tomato in a ramekin, and sprinkle the bottom of each with 1/4 of the tarragon and a bit of the salt and pepper.
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Slice the mushrooms. Heat the butter in a small frying pan and saute the mushrooms. Add 1/4 of the cooked mushrooms to the bottom of each tomato, keeping the butter in the pan.
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Break one egg into each tomato. As you add the second egg to each, spoon in the yolk first, then add only as much of the white as needed to reach almost the top of the tomato. eggs and tomatoes both vary greatly in size, so you must be a little adaptable here, but it is not, as they say, rocket science.
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Pour a bit of the butter over the top of each tomato, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and slide into the preheated oven.
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Set the timer for 12 minutes, and then start to check. The top yolk will look almost set, and the white will too, when the bottom egg is still runny. I like mine that way. It can take a little or a lot more time to get to that point, or you might like your eggs more well done. so you must keep checking. After you've made these several times, you will have a better idea of the time your oven requires to make a perfect breakfast to your own taste.
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Enjoy with buttered toast, loaf, or pita, and extra good hot coffee.
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