Best Coast Scramble

 ...I call it that because I am newly enamored of the west coast, and because it involves avocados!

The day before law school classes started back up, I had a lovely potluck brunch with some people from my awesome study group. M hosted and made peach bellinis and a spinach and apple salad; T brought these delicious little maple apple cinnamon muffins that she made with yogurt and applesauce; J brought her lovely self, fresh from a run in DC's 90-degree heat. I brought the ingredients for this scramble, which was really easy to throw together at M's place.

I had most of these ingredients on hand because I'd gone to Eastern Market the week before; I usually buy what I see that looks good and then come up with a way to use it. Salmonella is not a big thing to worry about when your eggs come from a farm, so we didn't hesitate to enjoy these.

T's famous no-recipe muffins.

I was considering what kind of cheese to use in the scramble; you don't want anything too sharp that's going to overpower the avocado, which is the highlight of the dish and a unique flavor that you don't want to undermine. I was thinking Gruyere but didn't find any at the market, so I went with a Jarlsburg, which is a mild Swiss cheese that ended up working really well. I cut it into strips instead of shredding it because I wanted some big chunks of cheesy goodness in the scramble.

This is a really simple recipe, but it's pretty and shows off some of the best summer produce. I am as enamored of avocados as I am of the west coast itself, and I use them for everything; I was inspired to try them in a scramble by this omelet I saw on a menu board in Seattle a few weeks ago.

M's salad...

Ingredients
8 eggs, lightly beaten
1 red bell pepper, diced
4 scallions, chopped
1 T margarine
1 small tomato, diced
1/4 lb. Jarlsburg cheese, thinly sliced into 1/4" strips
1 avocado, halved and thinly sliced
Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Preparation
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the margarine, red pepper, and scallions and cook for a minute or two until the peppers are a little tender and the scallions fragrant.

Add the eggs and, you know, scramble them for a bit. When they're mostly cooked but still a little wet, add the tomato and cheese and continue cooking until the cheese is melted and the eggs are fluffy.

...and M's fabulous peach bellini.

Place the scramble in a serving dish, season with salt and pepper, and garnish with the avocado slices. I didn't do this with mine, but you could add a dash of Tabasco or Sriracha, which the avocado would stand up to just fine.

Serve immediately, preferably to some people you really like, with alongside some other lovely brunch items. This would also be great next to or on top of rye toast.

Enjoy,
KB