We Grew 1001 Balcony Tomatoes (OK, Quite a Few)

fresh tomatoes Fresh, ripe tomatoes, warm off the vine. You might think you need a plot of land, or at least a large-ish garden to make this happen, but we have been happily surprised with the productivity of our condo garden this first year. We have planters on our balcony, as well as a metre-square plot in the building’s communal roof garden (a yard, if you’re using imperial measures).

We’ve been incorporating fresh tomatoes into our menu for a couple of weeks now, and have even canned a couple of jars. Small-batch canning is easy cooking tomatoesenough; you really just need a big poaching eggs in tomatopot of boiling water that is deeper than your canning jars. I’ll blog about that another time.

Today’s recipe is for a favourite breakfast of ours. Simply chop a big bunch of tomatoes. Add herbs if you like; we had a bit of basil and also a smoky chipotle in adobo which we chopped and put in the pot. Get the tomatoes really simmering. Once you’ve got them bubbling away, crack in a few eggs, one or two per person. I find the easiest way to do this is to crack them one at a time into a small bowl or cup, and gently pour into the tomatoes. Cover with a lid, turn the heat to medium-low, and check every couple of minutes until they are poached as you like. (Probably 5 or 6 minutes). Typically this is just enough time to make some toast.

This is an easy lunch or brunch dish, or a hearty, healthy, low-fat breakfast.

Eggs tomatoes and sourdough

Just Cheesy Enough…


Sunday morning – when you want decadent flavour with very little effort, these cheesy avocado toasts fit the bill.

Start by grating some cheese – in this case, aged cheddar and Caerphilly – but mixing up flavours will give endless tasty results. For two, cut a small avocado in half and mash with a squeeze of lemon juice. Then preheat the broiler and line a cookie sheet with parchment. While the oven heats, split and lightly toast two whole wheat English muffins.

Top the muffins with the grated cheese and place on the cookie sheet. Broil just until they are nicely melted. Spread the avocado on top and voilà, they’re ready to serve. Stand by for compliments.