Put an egg on it

I'm sure you've heard of the Portlandia bit "Put a bird on it!" where spazzy hipsters decide that everything's better with a bird on it. Etsy gone wild.The food version of that is "put an egg on it!" It seems to be the ultimate food porn of the moment. There are even Pinterest boards dedicated to it. I love this one. 

I made an amazing asparagus gruyere tart this weekend and shared some with my neighbors. They added a fried egg on top when they had it for dinner. Great idea, guys! Fresh eggs are the best, best, best.That's why I got my chickens. (Thank you, again, Joan!)  I get 2-3 fresh eggs everyday, so now I'm putting eggs on all kinds of stuff - pizza, chili, salad, pasta and more! 


Here is the recipe for the tart...so easy and good. And elegant, actually.

Asparagus Gruyere Tart

Flour, for work surface
1 sheet frozen puff pastry
5 1/2 ounces (2 cups) Gruyere cheese, shredded
1 1/2 pounds medium or thick asparagus
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On a floured surface, roll the puff pastry into a 16-by-10-inch rectangle. Trim uneven edges. Place pastry on a baking sheet. With a sharp knife, lightly score pastry dough 1 inch in from the edges to mark a rectangle. Using a fork, pierce dough inside the markings at 1/2-inch intervals. Bake until golden, about 15 minutes.

Remove pastry shell from oven, and sprinkle with Gruyere. Trim the bottoms of the asparagus spears to fit crosswise inside the tart shell; arrange in a single layer over Gruyere, alternating ends and tips. Brush with oil, and season with salt and pepper. Bake until spears are tender, 20 to 25 minutes.

p.s. Fontina cheese works well for this, too!

Best served immediately, but you can certainly reheat in the oven. 


Good stuff. I'm telling you...you need to make this. Remember those salted caramel brownies I recommended? I will not steer you wrong, hon.

Here are a few more delicious things topped with an egg...

So, the next time you're cooking...think about your dish. Maybe an egg would make it even better!

p.s. A few people have asked for a list of what I've been cooking for clients. Since spring produce like asparagus and strawberries will be gone soon (oh, say it ain't so...), the menu will be changing soon. Charm City Cook Personal Cooking - Spring Menu