Garlicky Beet Green + Green Bean Open-faced Egg Sandwiches

Brunch is a pretty big deal at my house on the weekends. Coffee, farm fresh eggs straight outta our CSA box and veggies. Lots + lots of veggies. I’m realizing now as I type this, that I don’t have many brunch recipes on my blog. This should change, because brunch is my favorite meal. Like hands down, my favorite.

I’m finding, the older I get {and the less I have to bartend} that mornings have a special place in my heart. There’s something so super magical about morning stillness. On Saturdays + Sundays I get up as early as I possibly can – I know that sounds weird. Yes I wake up as early as I can on the weekends. I creep downstairs, my husband + cat still totally conked out.

I cook and create and there’s no one there to bother me. It’s one of the only times of the whole week that I feel perfectly at peace. No street sounds, no construction noises or  jack-hammering, no one knocking on my apartment door, no texts, calls or emails. The city streets are asleep, my loved ones are asleep. Soon they’ll awake, but for now I relish their inactivity.

Just me in my kitchen, cooking for the man I love. This is my heaven on Earth.

I put the kettle on and I make a fresh batch of coffee in my french press. This week I have the pleasure of sipping on some of the best coffee I’ve ever had and I don’t use that phrase lightly. If you hear me say something like “best coffee ever”, I mean it. My friends over at Puro Fairtrade Coffee sent me some beans to try and it is one amazing cup of joe.

Puro is dedicated to the social responsibility of harvesting + producing shade grown, fair trade, organic coffee. To find out more about Puro, check out their film series. To win a bag of Puro coffee, jump to the bottom of the post for instructions.

Back to brunch – as I rummage my way around my kitchen, planning my brunch menu with intent just kinda flows out naturally. Usually something is roasted, a veggie or potato and typically something will be sauteed, some greens or some beans; but always eggs, sunny side-up are our favorite.

As I fumble through my CSA goodies, a bunch of green beans and beet greens catch my eye. Have you ever eaten beet greens? They’re they effing bomb. Not at all bitter, like some would suggest. They taste similar to swiss chard. And yes, you can eat the whole thing. You can eat that whole leaf and stem baby. If you’re tossing this part away, STOP and make this recipe at once. You will NOT regret it, I promise.

Garlicky Beet Green + Green Bean Open-faced Egg Sandwiches

Takes about 20 minutes to assemble + makes 4 open-faced sandwiches.

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch of beet green stems
• 1 pound {or so} green beans
• 5 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 1/4 cup of filtered water
• heavy pinch of sea salt
• 4 slices of bread, I used gluten-free bread from my local bakery
• 4 farm fresh eggs
• fresh oregano
• ground pepper to taste

Wash and dry your beet greens + green beans. Snip the ends of the beans. Trim the ends of the beet greens {using the leaves is optional, I chose not too, but you totally can and it would be delicious} and cut stalks in half, they should measure about the same length as the beans.

Heat a large saute pan over low-medium heat. Add in the garlic, green beans, beat greens filtered water and pinch of salt. Cover and cook for about 5 minutes. Release the lid and add in the olive oil, finish sauteing until the beans and greens are tender and vibrant.

While the beans + greens are cooking, toast your bread and cook your eggs, whichever style you like them.

To assemble, layer the beans and greens over the bread. Top with an egg + finish with coarse ground pepper and oregano.

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This post is in partnership with Puro Fairtrade Coffee; all opinions are my own.