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Breakfast goes on holiday (to the mediterranean)
Holidays are for changes and surprises so do not pack your Cornflakes. Holidays are for doing what you want to do and eating what you love on blue skied summer mornings on your terrace by the sea.
Sunday summer breakfasts are for getting up when you like and giving yourself a fresh, colourful and delicious promise for a lovely day.
What is your favourite holiday breakfast?
Let’s pass on the ubiquitous hotel ‘Continental Breakfast’ of orange juice from concentrate, formerly frozen croissant, ‘filter (going cold) coffee’ and cute little jams and butters in plastic boxes.
What about a Fruit Smoothie to begin the day? Blend fruit from your market trips with ice cubes and yoghurt. No blender in the villa? Poach some figs and apricots the night before, and add creamy milk or yoghurt in the morning.
Take out some more market buys from the fridge, then go out to the nearest bakery for some good, fresh bread.
Lightly toast a thick slice, then drizzle with a little olive oil and add chopped tomatoes for an Andalusian style breakfast. Mozzarella and avocado go well on the side.
We are skipping Bacon& Eggs but for some people breakfast does not deserve this name without an egg. If you like your’s scrambled why not add some parsley, chives and strips of smoked salmon? Getting on to brunch-time….- you could add your eggs to a base of fried charcuterie and mushrooms, or half a grated courgette and red pepper, throwing in a handful of feta cheese and sprinkling of crushed cumin seeds.
Phew! You may only be wishing for a quiet coffee and biscotti. My Moroccan family eat a piece of cake at the weekends with a milky coffee before cooking a large, midday lunch.
If you really need a change go to Alexandria where Egyptians do not say, ‘Good morning,’ but something like,
‘Hi, a morning of goodness to you,’ — to which you will always reply,
‘And a morning of beans!’
before going off to devour a warm bowl of ‘ful’ (broad beans) with raw onion and a tomato… to make that perfect day.
What is your dream holiday breakfast?
(Special thanks to photographer Stephen Bray, who lives on a mediterranean beach in Turkey.)
I like early mornings best on summer holidays in lovely warm places. Ripe melon…Galia. Greek yogurt and honey, eaten outside.
Sometimes it’s wonderful to get up early simply to enjoy delights such as these.
Perfect breakfast? Coffee.
Anything else? Yes, another coffee
Life does not get better.
Cake and coffee, is there any better breakfast? Ok, I am not a coffee lover but I am all in favour of some caffeine over breakfast to wake me up a bit.
I think that what I love most about breakfast on holiday is the freedom to choose, whether it’s a quick, sweet bite or playing around with new exotic ingredients.
I must admit that I vary my breakfasts anyway – today was porridge with a little organic honey, another day it may be a fry up, but too often it’s just Crunchy Nut Cornflakes.
I do enjoy a really good pain au chocolat – we have a farm shop that sells home-made ones, frozen, so left out the night before and we then just have to bake the light fluffiness for a few minutes – mmm
One thing I did enjoy when in Israel many years ago was having semolina for breakfast with Turkish coffee. That felt like a treat but was standard fare.
Breakfast is often a comfort meal, and there is a natural inclination to not be too adventurous first thing in the morning. But every day is going to be different, -whether that’s a porridge day or a Crunchy one.
Turkish breakfast is the best for me whether I am on holiday or not. There is always tea, bread, cheese, tomatoes, cucumber and black olives. We might add eggs, spicy sausage (sucuk), jam, honey, butter and green olives on Sundays. Here is a pic if you want to see what it looks like => http://bit.ly/5AyMJu (I took the pic from Mado’s website, I am sure they wouldn’t mind because I go there quite a lot)
Having said that, I always taste the local breakfasts when I am on holiday abroad. For example, when I was in Jamaica, I had ackee and saltfish for breakfast. It was yummy.
This picture is certainly proof that breakfast can be a feast – thank you, Ebru.
Mmm some tasty sounding ideas there, I especially like the idea of shredded courgettes and peppers with scrambled eggs. I know what I’m going to do next time I have eggs!
Our usual breakfast is a super smoothie with lots of raw cacao, fresh fruit and non-dairy milk, such as http://www.elementsforlife.co.uk/recipes/super-breakfast-smoothie
Thanks for this recipe, Dan. Might try the raw cacoa some time soon.
Yummy!
Felt my mouth watering as I was reading this and could almost feel the sand beneath my feet and the sun on my pate!
I always enjoy what’s best described as a “full English” in the winter months but always endeavour to grill and poach and eat wholemeal bread as I love a big brekkie start to the day.
I absoluteley love the suggestions above and would like to add my special breakfast recipe which consists of live yoghourt, sunflower seeds, pecan nuts, pumpkin seeds and a tablespoon of honey!
Outrageously delicious and incredibly nutritious.
Glad you had holiday feelings reading. ‘Nutritious and delicious’ is a good combination.
I have to go back many years to provide you with my perfect breakfast in the Med – literately. My wife and I had a holiday sailing around the South Ionian Sea. As you can appreciate a small yacht does not provide a fridge – just a large icebox.
On land breakfast would be consist of scrambled eggs provide by the local taverna, crusty local bread, jams & honey. Loads of fruit was always available especially melon, figs and grapes. My wife enjoyed Bugatsa is a delicious but very fattening pastry filled with cream in the middle. Best served hot with cinnamon and caster sugar on top.
At sea, muesli with local fruit and Greek yoghurt was always welcomed. There is nothing better than great food, fantastic scenery and peace & quiet.
What a wonderful picture of sailing (with your icebox) and landing for local mediterranean fare. It is at such times that all the senses enhance each other.
[...] Breakfast can be a mini banquet but make sure to leave room for lunch. (Remember, you can siesta later.) This is the time to make the most of the mediterranean tradition of mezze. [...]
[...] is time as well as place. It’s a change or a surprise. It’s doing what you want and eating what you [...]