Favorite Summer Breakfast

A year and a half ago I read Barbara Kingsolver's "Animal Vegetable Miracle," and decided to go locavore.  I've always been a big farmers market shopper, but for about a year we bought 90% of our meat, vegetables and fruits at the market, and some of our grain there too.  That's one of the things we take for granted living in Upstate California- awesome, well-stocked farmers markets year round.

Though we've chosen to buy meat from other sources right now, we do buy 90% of our fruits, vegetables and eggs at out farmers market.  That means deliciously fresh food year-round from trustworthy farmers and our food dollars going back into our local economy.

It also means no nectarines in January.

One of my favorite food moments of the year is when the first nectarines become available in late June.  Whether white or yellow, they are so sweet and flavorful, I don't know why one would feel a need to cook them.  I like to eat them out of hand or on top of toast with cream cheese, which has become my favorite summer breakfast.

Favorite Summer Breakfast

Hardly complex enough to be called a recipe, this showcases perfect summer fruit and leaves you with enough time to make coffee and sit down with the newspaper.
Serves 1.  Prep time: 5 minutes.

2 slices good-quality whole grain bread
a spoonful of honey
approx. 2 tablespoons whipped cream cheese
1 ripe nectarine or peach
       or 2-3 ripe apricots, plums or pluots

Toast bread on dark setting.   While bread is in the toaster, wash and thinly slice stone fruit, removing the pit. Spread toast with honey.  (Don't omit the honey.  This adds sweetness and keeps the toast from being too dry.)  Spread toast with cream cheese.  Arrange sliced fruit on top of cream cheese. Enjoy!