Breakfast is the meal I most often improvise. Some combination of staples are always on hand. The fridge is rarely eggless, there is bread or tortillas, a bit of vegetables and cheese leftover from dinners to work with, and beans if it is an extra good week. On days when something sweet is called for there is yogurt with fruit or jam and granola, pancakes, or oatmeal with apples. I don’t plan out and shop for breakfasts the way I do dinner (except for rare weekend company). I wake up and assess the fridge and make what I can in about 15 minutes (pancakes and oatmeal take a bit more premonition). And when I happen upon a really good combination, and the ingredients are still on hand, there is often repetition. This has been breakfast the last three days in a row, and each morning I’ve been surprised by how ridiculously delicious it is. My love of whipped feta is well documented, topped with creamy scrambled eggs (but not in the eggs, which I find makes them watery), with a little sauteed kale for color, texture, and virtuosity. Good toast is key, and a whole wheat sourdough is the perfect base. This recipe makes enough whipped feta for about 6 toasts, but keeps well and is excellent on toast or crackers alone, sandwiches, pizza…maybe double it.

Scrambled eggs with kale on toast with whipped feta

Serves 2, scales easily.

• 3 oz full-fat feta cheese, crumbled (don’t ever bother with dry low-fat phantom feta)
• 1 oz cream cheese or marscapone
• ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil (this isn’t being cooked and you really taste it, so bring out the good stuff)
• 2 pieces of whole wheat bread
• 1 teaspoon olive oil or butter
• 1 cup chopped kale
• 1 teaspoon water
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon milk
• Salt and pepper

In a food processor or with a hand mixer combine the crumbled feta, cream cheese, and olive oil. Mix until thoroughly combined (shouldn’t take more than a minute or two).

Put the bread in a toaster to brown to your liking. Crack both eggs in a bowl and beat with the milk, salt, and pepper until uniformly mixed.

In a small pan heat the olive oil or butter over medium heat. Add the kale and water and cover the pan. Allow to cook for 3-4 minutes until the kale is bright green and uniformly shiny. Uncover and turn down the heat to medium low. When the extra water has evaporated and the pan has cooled a bit add in the egg and stir to scramble. Continue stirring until the eggs are solid to your liking.

Slather toast with whipped feta and serve with scrambled eggs on top.