How funny to have a breakfast so reminiscent of summer on an uncharacteristically warm January day. The sweet, fragrant basil was a treat I happily transformed into my old standby, kale pesto, as I promised myself to get a basil plant for the kitchen next time I see one.

Sophia’s Greek Yogurt has to be the best yogurt I’ve ever had, and I’m not alone in that assertion. Made in Belmont, MA from a combination of sheep’s and goat’s milk, it’s rich, incredibly thick and creamy, with just enough tang. You know a yogurt is good when you can eat it completely plain – no honey, jam, or fruit required (although certainly welcome).

Having paired it with sweet goodness yesterday – more on that another day – I was ready for a savory yogurt breakfast. I whipped up a batch of garlicky, fresh kale pesto, something that’s been absent from my life for quite some time now. Poached an egg. A sprinkle of sea salt, a drizzle of olive oil, a splash of lemon.

I’m so lucky to be within walking distance of our wonderful winter farmer’s market. Among many treats, I picked up some winter-spiced mead, ginger wine, beautiful root vegetables, goat loin chops, and spicy chocolate almonds. Roaming around, tasting, looking, chatting, I was impressed by the array of local food in the dead of winter, and how many farms innovate with greenhouses to keep local food alive throughout the year. Although, there was one vendor who primarily offered produce from Florida. Not sure what that’s about. Nonetheless, I’m inspired by this market and look forward to keeping my meals fresh from the lovely local farmers here!

Kale pesto

makes a little over a cup of pesto

Here’s how I made today’s pesto. Feel free to change quantities to your taste.

• 1 packed cup kale
• 3-4 packed cups basil
• roughly 3/4 cup olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup raw walnuts
• sea salt
• pepper

I haven’t yet learned how to make pesto in a mortar and pestle, but am hoping to at an Italian cooking class I’m taking next month. Without a food processor, I’m left only with a blender, which means my pesto will be a bit smoother than I normally would make. But still delish!

I started with the minced garlic, olive oil, and a cup of the basil in the blender. Once everything was incorporated, I added the next cup of basil, blended, and another cup, and so on. Sprinkled in the sea salt and pepper and blended the walnuts in, followed by the kale. Because this left me with such a smooth pesto, I chopped up a little extra basil and mixed it in by hand at the end for added texture.

How to poach an egg

The way I’ve been poaching eggs seems to work well. I use a small frying pan, fill it with an inch or two of water, with a splash of white wine vinegar and a sprinkle of salt. Cover the pan for a bit. You want the water to be at a nice simmer, that sweet spot between boiling and lightly simmering. Which means I usually end up boiling the water, taking the cover off and turning the heat down until it’s where I want it to be (haven’t mastered that part yet!) Then I place the egg, without cracking, into the water for just a minute, which helps it stay in place when you crack it into the water.

After that minute, gently crack it into the water and cook until the white is set, but with enough gooeyness left in the yolk so it runs. The egg should be covered by water so you don’t have to flip it, but if it’s not covered, it won’t hurt to gently flip it. After removing the egg, you can trim some of the white so it’s left in a nice, round shape — but definitely not necessary.

Mix in a bit of the pesto into the yogurt – enough so the yogurt has just a hint of green – with a little extra dollop on top. Gently place the egg on top, with a splash of olive oil, lemon juice (optional) and salt and pepper to taste. Feel free to add more pesto if desired. And when that yolk runs through the yogurt — yum.

Satisfyingly fresh.

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