Caprese Egg Sandwich

One of the best things about summer is that tomatoes are in season, and not just tomatoes, but heirloom tomatoes. They have such great flavor, and a wonderful, fleshy texture. And there are so many varieties...I like the really dark crimson, nearly black ones called "Rosso Brunos". If you ever see any at the farmer's market or in a store, don't hesitate on buying them. They're the best tomato I've ever tasted.

From what I've read, they are called "Heirlooms" because the tomato seeds have been saved from one growing season to the next and have been handed down through several generations. Nice one.

There are so many ways to enjoy an heirloom and here's a good one for the morning, in under five minutes! A great, rustic breakfast spin on the great italian salad.

What you'll need:

1 thick slice of heirloom or another kind of large tomato
2 fresh basil leaves
1 egg
1 english muffin
1 large slice of havarti cheese

Side note - I just started a little vegetable garden and I'm completely obsessed with it. We're growing 4 types of tomatoes, basil, 2 types of lettuce, chives, egg plant, strawberries, and about 7 types of peppers (my wife thinks I've gone way overboard on the peppers, and she's right).

Anyway, our basil has gone absolutely nuts, the thing has grown about a foot in the past week and we have more basil than we know what to do with, and it's really fun to head out the the garden and pick some basil or lettuce and then eat it immediately.

So, for this dish, poach your egg, either in the microwave or on the stove (see previous post for instructions on cooking the egg).

Toast your english muffin. When it's finished, remove and put the slice of tomato on top and the two pieces of basil. Then slide your egg on top, and put the large slice of havarti on top.

Put the sandwich back into the toaster oven on broil, until your havarti is nice and melted -- be sure you use the baking sheet that the toaster oven comes with and cover with a piece of tin foil so the cheese doesn't run into the toaster (it's a pain to clean).

After about a minute, you'll have missile lock on a tasty treat.