January 24, 2015

Sweet Potato, Brussels Sprout, and Turkey Hash

Do you ever stop and marvel at how quickly a year goes by? Sometimes I get caught up in the everyday of it all, only to be blindsided by the passage of months, whole seasons, then suddenly, a year. Before you know it, it’s been 365 days since the last time you celebrated your child’s second birthday (cry), since you last cleaned under the fridge (whoops), since you took a romantic weekend away with your hubby. It doesn’t feel that long sometimes, but it is. For instance, I did a double take when I was thinking back on my most recent trip with my husband. A year? It can’t really have been a year?! Can it? Oh yes, that’s right. We had one less child, and I remember it being cold, so yeah. A year.

And just like that, here we are. Now, certainly, a lot has happened in this past year. But for that instant when I was transported back to sitting at breakfast, just the two of us, drinking good coffee and eating breakfast without the accompaniment of a spoon banging against a highchair, for that one moment, it feels like the blink of an eye. The memory feels so vivid and immediate. For someone who has trouble remembering to put on socks and shoes before leaving the house, it feels strange.

Maybe it is because of how good the food was. Do you think I’m joking? Don’t we know each other well enough by now that you know I’m not joking? Ok. We can go on then. Listen: I’m not a breakfast person, not really. I mean, obviously, I eat breakfast, I even enjoy it quite often. But it’s not typically my favorite meal of the day. So getting excited about a breakfast place enough to go back to it twice, and on vacation, no less (when you’re supposed to try out all kinds of different places, it’s vacation law)… well, that’s something.

This hash was what stood out for me as one of the best breakfasts I’ve had in a long time. The sweet potatoes were tender, but perfectly brown around the edges, ditto for the Brussels, and the turkey was moist, but had those chewy little edges that I kind of love. Topped with a runny egg, which is arguably breakfast crack, this was absolute perfection. Before I even finished it, I knew I was going to have to try adapting this one into something I’d eat for breakfast on a regular basis.

And I did. A few times even. I kept meaning to share, but you know… was that really a year ago? Can’t be. Sorry. Well, here it is now, in all it’s loveliness. Granted, it’s my version, and quite a bit simplified, so I’m not sure how close it is to the original. But the taste seems right, at least enough to bring me back to that peaceful morning with the guy I love. Don’t let a year go by without trying it.