transients appreciated

One of my roommates at Baylor briefly dated this total foodie. He would do things like drive to Austin for “good ingredients” and make ice creams in the flavors of balsamic and basil. Even though I did not much like him as a match for my best friend, I do still appreciate a few things he taught me in the kitchen AND for introducing me to black truffles. He went on to culinary school at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris…only to eventually drop out and pursue some philosophy degree. I suppose culinary school is not for everyone (like, hey, me) but we can all appreciate those transient fellows who teach us pearls like how to fry sage into our eggs and properly clean a cast iron skillet. Thanks bo'freen.

Sage and Gouda Breakfast Tarts

Pie crust to fill 4 tartelette pans

4 thick slices of gouda

4 teaspoons fresh chopped sage

4 eggs

2 tablespoons heavy cream, divided

Salt and pepper

Whole sage leaves to garnish

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Roll out pie dough and cut to fit your tartelette pans (mine were about 4 inch pans). Spray pans with Baker Joy (or grease with butter) then press dough into pans. Prick the bottom with a fork. Fill with pie weights (which I resourcefully substituted with mason jar lids) and bake until tart shells are set, about 8 minutes. Remove weights and continue baking until pie shells are golden, about 5 more minutes.

Remove tart shells from the oven. Lay the gouda on the bottom of each tart shell and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of chopped sage each. Crack an egg into each shell and pour ½ tablespoon cream over each egg. Sprinkle salt and pepper over each tart and return to oven for 13-15 more minutes (or until the egg whites are set and the yolk is still a little runny). Remove from oven and allow to cool for about 5 minutes before you remove each tart from its pan. Garnish with sprigs of sage and serve warm with a bacon salad to turn this into more of a meal. Serves 4.