Fresh Tomatoes and Oil on Herb Bread

This is what I have been having for breakfast lately.

Halve some Rosemary bread (I used "Herb Slab" from acme bakery).

Toast or heat up slightly in microwave.

Slice tomatoes on top.

Drizzle some olive oil on them.

Add salt and pepper.

Eat with Peppermint Tea in a transparent glass mug.

Salsa

This recipe was given to me by my friend Peter. He is Mexican and is an excellent cook.

Put on a fry pan:

3 or 4 Tomatoes
A few cloves of garlic
2-4 Serrano chilies
1/2 onion

No need to chop or peel garlic or onions

Cook and turn till blackened on a few sides.

Put in blender or food processor and blend but don't let it be totally pureed.

Add a small pile of salt.

English Muffins like Jefferson used to make

Copied directly from http://www.monticello.org/jefferson/dayinlife/breakfast/at.html

Monticello Muffins

4 cups of flour
1 1/2 packets of yeast
1 1/2 cups water
cast iron griddle

Mix flour, yeast, and water. Dough will be very sticky. Coat your hands in flour before kneading the dough. While kneading, continue to add small amounts of flour to the dough until the stickiness disappears and the dough becomes more solid. You may find you add as much as 1/2 cup more flour during this process.

Put the dough in a large bowl, cover with a towel, and leave in a warm place overnight. The dough should more than double by morning. The underside of the dough may be a bit sticky -- if so, knead it a bit more. Using your hands, shape the muffins into small golf-ball sized balls. Set the muffins aside, cover with a towel, and let rise for an hour.

Preheat ungreased griddle over medium heat. Add shaped muffins to griddle and cook for about five minutes on each side.
The muffins will look like biscuits on the outside and English muffins on the inside. Serve immediately. Makes two dozen small muffins.

Tostada Weekend Brunch

Today we made a Mexican brunch.

To make it:

Refry up some refried beans with garlic and onions
Slice some bell peppers and fry lightly
Crisp tortillas on burner or pan
Make up some fresh salsa
Assemble beans, peppers, salsa, and sour cream (better than) on the tortilla.

Serve with chips, extra salsa and a big glass of orange juice mixed with fruit juice. We used Kiwi Strawberry.