A Parable + Breakfast for Spring
“When you wake up in the morning, Pooh,” said Piglet at last, “what’s the first thing you say to yourself?”
“What’s for breakfast?” said Pooh. “What do you say, Piglet?”
“I say, I wonder what’s going to happen exciting today?” said Piglet.
Pooh nodded thoughtfully.
“It’s the same thing,” he said.
Broiled Asparagus, a Poached Egg, and Charred Spring Onion and Garlic over Grits
- 1 cup coarse grits (polenta)
- 1 bundle (about a pound) asparagus
- 3 spring onions
- 2 stalks spring garlic
- Lemon juice, lemon zest
- 2 eggs
- olive oil / butter
- salt
Combine 1 cup grits with 5 cups cold water in a heavy, deep pot. Bring to a boil, toss in a bit of salt and reduce to simmer for 45 minutes, stirring very frequently and adding water and oil/butter to your liking. Meanwhile, prep asparagus on baking sheet. Coat with olive oil, salt, pepper and zest of 1 lemon. Broil on the top rack for no more than 5 minutes. Remove asparagus from pan and set aside. Slice the white and light green portion of both garlic and onions and toss in leftover olive oil from the asparagus on the baking sheet. Squeeze the juice of the fully zested lemon over the garlic and onions. Add a bit more oil if you feel necessary. Return to the broiler, and check every 2 minutes to make sure they don’t burn. Pull them out when they have a nice brown char on the edges. Set aside.
Prepare the water for poaching the eggs in a deep pan. Once things come to a boil, it’s time to start prepping the serving bowls with the warm grits and asparagus. 1-ish cup of the grits, followed by half of the asparagus… bring bowls/plates over to the stove for easy transfer of the eggs.
I have recently adopted this bangin’ poaching technique, thanks to Bon Appetit: when the water has just come to a boil, create a vortex in the center by whisking a fork in a counter-clockwise direction. Once you’ve gotten up enough speed, set down the fork and quickly crack the egg into the middle of the whirlpool you’ve created. Now just watch. Seriously. Magic is happening. Cook for 4 minutes.
Place finished egg on top of the asparagus, and pile on a generous handful of charred onions/garlic.
Aaron from The Amused Bouche Blog
Great photos! Sounds like my kind of breakfast. Those have to be some of the most pencil-thin asparagus I’ve ever seen!
Eileen
That looks like a perfect breakfast and an adventure all at once. 🙂 I’m no excited to see the spring asparagus, even after a few weeks of eating it!
Margarita
When I wake up in the morning, the only thing that makes me pop out of bed is the thought of a good breakfast. This breakfast looks so fresh and filling. I want to try polenta soon!
joey
I would love to wake up to this! Gorgeous breakfast!
Magda
Nice parable 🙂
Those asparagus look so slender and fresh. Enviable breakfast.
Annie
Lordy that looks yummy. I’ve been on an asparagus journey lately and this definitely looks like a direction I should travel soon.
Thanks!
holly
this is totally my kind of meal!
AND my kind of parable. such lovely vibes you put out into the universe. i like yo style 🙂
Shannalee
I love that quote with this post. Oh, breakfast. Such a delight!
Brian @ A Thought For Food
What a fabulous breakfast! This is just the kind of meal I’d love to start my day with (I’m not a huge bfast person).
On a separate note… I taught a food photography class last week and I used your pictures as an example of action…. and how sometimes simply capturing the process can be beautiful. You’ve again proven this to be true. Love these shots.
Oana from dishchronicles
Gorgeous. Simple as that.
Courtney
This looks like the perfect weekend breakfast! I just got some spring onions at the farmer’s market so I’ll have to give it a try for dinner soon. Nothing better than breakfast as dinner!
Tanner Colton
Great recipe and even greater “pooh wisdom.” It always look to Pooh for all major life decisions… he hasn’t let me down yet. Thanks guys!!
Jacqui
Love it : ) And this dish looks+sounds amazing! Oh, must make soon!
Thyme (Sarah)
O.K., I seriously want to try that egg poaching technique. It sounds like fun in the kitchen. Oh, and I adore Winnie the Pooh and the quote was perfect!
ileana
What a beautiful breakfast. Like Pooh, I also get out of bed for my first meal of the day.
kale
Aw, Winnie the Pooh. This looks delicious enough to please both Winnie and Piglet.
Cookie and Kate
This is STUNNING, you guys! I’d like to eat this with Pooh tomorrow morning. Suppose Cookie will do?
sarah
Oh you! What a perfect post.
Heather
I’m not sure how I ended up at your blog, but I’m sure glad that I did. All of your photos and food are fantastic, and your writing might be my favorite of any blog…even when it’s the simple insight of Winnie the Pooh. Thanks for sharing your talent and lives with us.
Chloe
oh, i love you pooh!
Courtney Rae Jones
Gorgeous photos! Beautiful. What a fantastic recipe. 🙂
Jeanine
I want this right now for dinner, forget waiting for the morning to come 🙂
Kasey
This is pretty much my favorite thing ever (the Pooh quote + the polenta). We’re on the same page in more ways than one, friend (I won’t even go into avocado + toast). Gorgeousness all around…also, I seriously made this exact dish a few weekends ago (and I couldn’t get over how amazing that egg is on the polenta…). http://turntablekitchen.tumblr.com/page/2
Rachel
oh Pooh. He and I think alike.
This is exactly what I wanted for dinner tonight, only I didn’t know it at the time.
Nicole Franzen
yum, that looksss good. Right up my alley.
Jamie {green beans & grapefruit}
This looks awesome. I actually made a similar dish not too long ago. Love your addition of polenta and leeks make most things better. Thanks for sharing!
jamie @ flourchildren
I love the Pooh story! Almost as much as I love polenta… mmm!
Sarah
Pooh and Piglet are the storybook equivalents of my 2 dogs. Makes this post all the sweeter. And delicious looking.
Maria
That is the prettiest polenta dish I have ever seen! Love it!
Maria
Such a pretty dish!
Amanda@EasyPeasyOrganic
Ah, so pretty! And Pooh definitely knows how to say it 🙂
Is that a tablecloth? I love how it looks like parcel paper!
Kimberley
This is my perfect breakfast. And oh how I love Pooh. Go ahead and laugh – when I was younger I used to dress in knee socks and corduroy shorts and pretend that I was Christopher Robin.
talley
*giggle* oh winnie the pooh, i love you. This post is wonderful Kelsey. Simple and perfect. I make polenta at least once a week, usually on days when our friend Jess joins us for dinner because she is gluten free. We’ve grown to love it so much that I also make it on nights when it’s just us. It’s a great sponge for saucy meals. I can’t wait to try this recipe, it looks wonderful, and with those thin thin thin asparagus (my favorite).
thelittleloaf
I LOVE that quote! I used it a few months back in a post on pancakes for breakfast but this looks a thousand times more wonderful – beautiful photos as always.
Amanda
OMG, I giggled so much! That sounds like something I would say. This sounds amazing, btw.
Kate
I do that whirling vortex for poaching eggs too, and people have scoffed at it until I show them how perfect and magical it is.
This breakfast?? Incredible. I could eat that and never want for another bite of food all day.
adrienneats
Ah a girl after my own heart! This sounds + looks perfect, Kelsey. I’m digging the texture of that kraft paper.
El
This is beautiful. Just beautiful.
Alicia @ Treble Tart
This looks absolutely scrumptious!! Also, I love Winnie the Pooh. Just reading that little excerpt completely made my day. 🙂
Kris Mullen @munchin with munchkin
Who needs a pot of honey when you have a breakfast like this!
Eva {Not your mama's dinner}
Oh, how I love everything about this post: the pooh-sentiment, the photo’s (!), the food, the magical poaching trick, … I think I’ve fallen in love.
brandi
this is so beautiful. i finally got my husband on board with grits – these will definitely be made soon.
Juliette
So sweet and sooo right.
Terry
Thought I would like this recipe!! Looks absolutely delicious.
Allie
This recipe looks delicious! Never had poached egg with grits before but it looks like it would be a great pairing.
http://theurbanfeast.wordpress.com/
Jude Blereau
Oh My, I adore Pooh and Piglet, and heartily agree with the sentiment. I love this breakfast, and if you were closer would want to wangle an invite…x Jude
Kankana
I make something similar with polenta 🙂 That sure is one of our fav and most comforting meal!
Melissa
I’ve just got into polenta and as it’s aspargus season, I’m definitley going to make this recipe – this weekend actually for breakfast on Saturday! http://www.evolutionorganics.co.uk
Chelsea
I LOVE that Winnie the Pooh quote– and this dish looks absolutely perfect for a lazy Sunday. Can’t wait to try it out.
Chelsea
I love that Winnie the Pooh quote. Can’t wait to try this on a lazy Sunday morning.
Mis
This was breakfast this morning…PHENOMENAL!!! Thank you for sharing, deeeelicious!
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I’m going to make this today ! Thank you
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