Step outside and take a deep breath. It FINALLY feels like spring.

This makes us:

A) Want to be outside

B) Want to eat all the bright, light, sunshiney springtime foods

C) Want to eat said sunshiney springtime foods outside

So today, we have for you a way to start your day with option C. Because if you’re going to really go for it, you should probably jump in breakfast first, and this one is delicious, colorful, healthy, and best of all, one of those non-recipe recipes. Plus, the whole thing goes in one bowl, so it’s porch/lawn/stoop/deck/dock/canoe/roof/whatever-outdoor-space-you’ve-got portable.

The thing about the below recipe is that our ingredients are really just suggestions: things we found at our farmer’s market that looked especially appealing. Use the eggs and labneh as your base and add whatever you like, whatever you can find. Or you can certainly follow exactly what we used and be very happy, indeed.

But before we let you go: are you familiar with labneh? It’s a creamy, tangy Middle Eastern dairy food that’s somewhere between cheese and yogurt—which makes sense because it’s made by letting most of the liquid (whey) drain out of plain, full-fat yogurt, usually overnight or for a day. It’s so simple to make, keeps for several weeks in your fridge, and is good on nearly everything: toast, vegetables, meats—and, yes, eggs.

If you don’t know, now you know.

You could make just enough labneh for your breakfast bowl, or you could make more—because why not, it’s no more effort—and use the leftovers to fill bowls drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with spices (za’atar! paprika! Aleppo pepper!), or chopped fresh herbs (basil! mint! parsley! sorrel! marjoram! thyme!), garlic, nuts (pistachios! almonds! cashews! walnuts!), olives (Castelvetrano! Gaeta! Niçoise!Alfonso!). Then dip in your favorite spring vegetables or warm breads. Or serve alongside grilled meat. Or fish. Use it for anything and everything you can think of.

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Spring Breakfast Bowls: Olive Oil-Fried Eggs with Labneh

Notes: Different kinds of yogurts will produce different results. Thick Greek yogurt will make firmer, tangier labneh. Thinner yogurt will make a softer, creamier version. For a breakfast bowl like we’re making here, we prefer the latter, but make whichever you like. Or try them both.

If you’re looking to make just enough labneh for breakfast, three 6-oz containers of non-Greek yogurt will make enough mild, creamy labneh for 4 breakfast bowls.

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Labneh

You’ll need:

• Cheesecloth
• Strainer
• Bowl

Ingredients:

• Full-fat plain yogurt
• Salt to taste

* Line a strainer with two or three layers of cheesecloth so that the ends hang over the sides. Set over a bowl that will allow the the whey to drain out of the yogurt without the bottom of the strainer sitting in it.

* Pour yogurt into the strainer. Add a sprinkle of salt and give it a stir. Fold the ends of the the cheesecloth back over the top of the yogurt and refrigerate for 24 hours.

* When the labneh is ready, transfer it to a bowl and give it stir. Cover tightly and refrigerate until ready to use.

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Spring Breakfast Bowls

Ingredients:

• Eggs
• Labneh

We added:

• Watermelon radishes
• Radish micro greens
• Cucumbers
• Mint
• Shelled pistachios
• Optional: a little crushed garlic + squeeze of lemon
• Optional: garlic toast (just toasted bread rubbed with garlic and olive oil, sprinkled with salt)
• Salt to taste

* If using, mix a little crushed garlic and a squeeze of lemon into the labneh.

* Spoon some labneh into the bottom of your serving bowls.

* Wash any greens and herbs you’re using and dry well so they don’t make your bowl soggy. Chop up vegetables, nuts, and greens/herbs (if they need it) that you’ll be adding.

* Get your skillet hot, add a good glug of olive oil, and fry eggs to your liking.

* Place eggs on top of the labneh in your bowls, then add toppings. Sprinkle with salt and serve, adding garlic toast alongside, if you like.

© 2017 Lee and Lou Cook. All rights reserved.