Avocado Toasts

Have you purchased the Flour Bakery cookbook yet?

No, you say?  Come on!  I've been preaching about this cookbook for ages.  You're really, truly missing out.

I think you need a little excerpt.

This comes from page one.  This small introduction made me fall head over heels for the cookbook, for the bakery, and for Joanne Chang.

"Flour.  On its own, it's an ordinary ingredient.  Likewise, there's nothing special about a cup of sugar, a few eggs, or a stick of butter.  But together, these seemingly pedestrian ingredients form the foundation of the magical world of baking.

Being able to create mouthwatering treats from a roster of such basic elements never fails to delight me.  Every day I watch as the mixers and ovens and bakers work their magic to create the beautiful pastries that fill the counter at Flour, my bakery.  The transformation of humble ingredients into delightful desserts inspires people to exclaim with joy following a single bite.  It's a wonderful world to live and work in.

In some ways, baking reminds me of a theoretical math class I took in college.  (Bear with me for a moment.)  On the first day, we erased from our minds the number system as we knew it.  Beginning only with the assumption of the existence of the idea of zero, we spent the next two weeks re-creating the modern-day number system.  It seemed like a crazy exercise at the time (and I just barely passed that class), but it taught me that even very complex things start with the most basic building blocks.  Baking isn't nearly as complicated as that class was, of course, but everything I bake--at Flour, or at home--starts with the fundamentals.  That's why I named my bakery Flour.  It's a reminder that in baking, as in life, simple things are best."

Three little paragraphs and she was able to sum up everything I know, love, and think about being in the kitchen.  I live for the magical things that happen in the kitchen and the exclamations of joy after people take their first bite of something I have created.  And I wholeheartedly believe in that last line...simplicity is key.

With that in mind...let's talk about this breakfast, or lunch, or snack, or dinner.  It's simple.  And unbelievably wonderful.  I'm going to give you a step-by-step but don't be alarmed.  It doesn't require one.

avocado toasts...

Makes: 1 toast   Prep Time: 3 minutes (maybe a little longer if you're only on your first pot of coffee)  Cook Time: A couple minutes to make an egg if you want one   Total Time: 10ish minutes

{No Printable Recipe...You don't need one!  I promise!}

Ingredients:

1 piece of bread -- I used a multigrain sourdough

1 avocado

a squeeze of lemon juice

kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

optional yummy things: cilantro, tomato, poached egg, bacon, a little cheese, chives, roasted red peppers, shaved asparagus, arugula....the list could go on and on.

Directions:

First I started by baking some bread.  Highly encouraged, but not necessary.

And as I mentioned earlier, it was the Multigrain Sourdough from the Flour Cookbook....it was possibly the best bread I've ever made.  I'll share the recipe with you soon.

After the whole bread thing, I grabbed an avocado and cut it in half.

Scooped out each side with a spoon.

Added a fresh squeeze of lemon juice.

Mashed it all up.

And...spread it onto the bread.  You should be aware that you have an option before this step.  To toast the bread...or not.  It's up to you.  But I like it toasted.

Next came the salt.

Then the pepper.

And then all of the other goodies.  This was Nick's.  He went for roasted red peppers (his favorite) and a poached egg.

Mine started with just cilantro.

But then I decided that it wasn't enough.

So I threw on some sliced tomatoes.

And lastly, Kaston opted for a single poached egg.  Simplicity I tell you.  It's the key.

So there you have it.  A simple, wonderful, delicious meal for anytime of the day.

And just in case you were truly inspired by Joanne Chang, and need the Flour cookbook in your hands immediately...you should check out my Amazon shop located on the left of your screen.  You can find it in there, order it, and have it delivered to your doorstep within minutes (well maybe not the delivery).  And while you're at it, make sure to browse through my other favorite cookbooks!