Last week I was at the Reading Terminal Market in Philadelphia and came across some beautiful farm eggs at an Amish farmer stand. Of course I couldn’t resist buying a dozen because common sense tells me to always trust a white-bearded farmer wearing a hat and suspenders. The thing is, with good eggs, there’s not too much you should do. Simple is best. In greengrocers’ and farmers’ markets around the country, signs of spring are all around so it was really a no-brainer to simply match them up with seasonal spring ingredients.

The arrival of fresh sweet peas, fava beans with their buttery texture and slightly bitter, nutty flavor and morels with their smoky and earthy tones is something I look forward to every year. They were sauteed in butter with shallots and finished cooking with the sunny-side-up egg. To make the flavors pop I made a basil puree and added a scoop of crème fraiche and some sun-dried tomatoes to the pan. Some cracked pepper and a sprinkle of fleur de sel to finish things up and let me tell you, this makes one fine week-end breakfast.

• Farm egg with Morels, Peas, Crème Fraiche and Basil Purée

• Serves 2

• • For the eggs:

  • 4 fresh farm eggs
  • 1 handful of fresh morels, cleaned
  • 1 shallot, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1/2 cup fresh peas, blanched
  • 1/2 cup fresh fava beans, blanched
  • 1 small bunch basil, leaves only, washed
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 4 or 5 sun-dried tomatoes, sliced
  • 2 tablespoons crème fraiche
  • fleur de sel and freshly ground black pepper

  • For the eggs:

  • Bring a small pot of water to a boil and blanch the basil leaves for 15 seconds. Drain and cool in cold running water. Squeeze out the excess water. Place in a blender  with the garlic clove. Season with salt and pepper and blend while adding the olive oil until you obtain a smooth puree. Add a few tablespoons of water if necessary.
  • Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and melt the butter. Add the morels and sautee until tender. Add the shallots and cook for 2 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper. Add the peas and fava beans and sautee for a minute. Break the eggs in a bowl and add them to the skillet. Cook until set, about 2 minutes. Add a few spoonfuls of basil puree and crème fraiche to the skillet and a few slices of sun-dried tomatoes. Season with fleur de sel and freshly ground black pepper and serve immediately, in the skillet, with slices of grilled country bread.