Anyone who knows me well or has been following along with Foodie Footnotes will know that I *love* breakfast. Well, hang on a minute; let me clarify that. I don’t love your regular old something-to-eat-just-because-I-haven’t-for-10-hours breakfast. I mean I love a special breakfast. An occasion breakfast. Breakfast with a purpose. Breakfast with flair. Breakfast that has been in some way prepared, not just poured out of a box & milk added to it. Just add milk? Ugh.
When I was over on the other side of the pond a little while back, I was spoiled with a lot of breakfast love. Every day in fact, because my brother & his wife make breakfast every day. Sometimes it was a simple bowl of porridge (oatmeal) & I watched in astonishment to see my 2 year old nephew, Charlie, hoover (vacuum) a huge dish of it up into his mouth in minutes; sometimes fresh fruit, yogurt & granola; often a full cooked deal. I didn’t photograph every breakfast…it’s hard holding a 9 week old baby, eating & photographing all at the same time. I know…any excuse for poor performance. But here, for your enjoyment, dear Reader, is a smattering of some of the more splendid breakfasts that I enjoyed, down on the farm, in England this past few weeks.
Irish Soda Farls: who knew they were so yummy?
Irish Soda Farls sliced in half, lightly toasted & topped with farm-fresh bacon & fried eggs. Breakfast bliss.
One of the things that is always near the top of my foodie wish list whenever I head to England: kippers. I was AMAZED to see 2-year-old Charlie wolfing down kippers for breakfast like it was his last hour on earth. Who else knows a 2 year old who will eat kippers??! Fresh from the fish market the evening before, these were a real treat. *Love* kippers. Eaten with a couple of slices of fresh, white, buttered bread. Heaven.
A kipper: pure, simple, healthy, yummy breakfast
Once a herring, it's amazing what a bit of smoke can do for a fish
Now, back to the bacon. We eat a lot of bacon in Britain. It is pretty much a completely different product to the bacon most usually found in an American grocery store. And thank heaven for that.
Bacon & scrambled eggs on toast. One of the best ways I know to start the day.
Just like an open breakfast sandwich: bacon & eggs on toast
There was always plenty of bread available for toasting. Or not toasting. I absolutely *love* eating a great slice of white bread. Un-toasted. Slathered with butter. Real butter, of course. Margarine should be banned. That stuff has no place in life.
It probably won’t be a surprise to you to learn that my brother & sister-in-law make almost all of the jams that they eat. I am not sure who the primary jam-creator is in their household. I get confused over who does what. Not that it matters – everything that they make is rather splendid, whoever does the cooking. Back in the jam department…the current favorite was Rhubarb & Raspberry. Quite yummy. Far more raspberry-ness than rhubarb, & not as tart as you might expect. I’ll get the recipe for you.
Finally, here we have the King of British breakfasts: Bubble & Squeak. Bubble & squeak is what we Brits make with our left-over veggies from the weekend roast dinner. Adding bacon & eggs makes just about anything a joy to behold. Bubble & squeak is no exception. We love ourselves some bubble & squeak.
Bubble & Squeak. With bacon & eggs, of course.
There's nothing quite like farm-fresh eggs & bacon for breakfast.
Brits might not be found eating breakfast out very often, if at all. I was not in the least bit disappointed to eat breakfast in my brother & sister-in-law’s kitchen every day for 2 weeks. Their breakfasts rivalled many of the ones I have eaten out this past year. Thanks Mummy & Daddy for some very fine culinary starts to my days.
Roll on November 2011. I can’t wait to inhale kippers with the adorable Charlie once again. Maybe his baby sister will be ready for a spot of kipper inhalation by then too.
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