Avocado and Tomato with Broken-Egg Dressing
Earlier this spring, Food52 chose Deep Run Roots as its book-of-the-month for its Cookbook Club and simultaneously chose "Avocado and Tomato with Broken-Egg Dressing" as its favorite recipe. We couldn't agree more. It's so fresh and simple and perfect for those ripe tomatoes this time of year. Below, enjoy Vivian's recipe from page 56 of Deep Run Roots.
—The Gorging on Life Team
"In 2011 I gave birth to twins. Theo and Flo came into the world four weeks early, and their arrival turned every routine Ben and I ever had on its head. One afternoon, right after we brought them home from the hospital, Ben made me a snack. I was depressed and hooked up to a milker, so nothing anyone did for or around me was appreciated. But I do remember this.
The egg, lemon juice and olive oil in this rudimentary salad came together to make a satisfying buddy of stuff to drag the tomatoes and avocados through. The snack is the first thing other than the tormented-lucky-new-mom feeling I remember from that time. It's like the first food memory of my new life."
—Vivian Howard, Deep Run Roots
Ingredients
1/4 small red onion
2 eggs, cooked and peeled as instructed below
2 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil for finishing
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
2 medium tomatoes, cut into small wedges
1 large avocado, peeled, pit removed, and sliced
5 turns of the paper mill or 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
4 large basil leaves, chiffonade
Instructions
Put two eggs in a 2-quart saucepan. Cover them with cool water by 1 inch. Bring the eggs up to a boil and cook for 1 minute. Remove the pot from the heat, cover, and let sit for 10 minutes. Drain the eggs and run cold water over them till they are cool enough for you to handle.
Place your onion julienne in a little ice water while you get everything else ready. It will take off some of the sharp oniony edge.
Cut eat egg into 8 pieces. Place the eggs in a small bowl and stir them together with the lemon juice, oil, Dijon, and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt. This will be your dressing.
Divide the tomatoes among 4 plates or flat-bottomed bowls. Do the same with the avocado, making sure those ingredients are in a single layer. Spoon the egg dressing over the top. Use all of it even if it seems like a lot. Season the top of the salad with the remaining salt and pepper. If you have it, substitute a flaky finishing salt here. Finish with the drained red onion and basil.
I like to tell people how to eat things, and if you are also so inclined, make sure you tell your guests to drag the tomatoes and avocado through the dressing, lifting up any they can. Bread may also help. If you don't want to go to the trouble to arrange the ingredients as suggested, toss everything together in a bowl and go to town.
