Piperade Recipe

I have had this described as an omelet; however it is more akin to scrambled eggs with a few extras tossed in. It can be found in several forms around the Mediterranean. You may actually be surprised at how well tomatoes and eggs go well together. Then again you might not. Ever put ketchup on your eggs in the morning? Hmmm? 

In Syria we grew tomatoes on the balcony of our flat. It was a really big balcony, went round three sides of the building. There was one oversized flat on each floor, except for the Sudanese Ambassador downstairs he had two floors and a pool. A pool that strangely enough very rarely had water in it. Though it often held goats, Bedouins and occasionally onions. For the life of me I have no idea why he needed a pool full of onions. I assume that he was trying to corner the Damascene onion market, or some such rubbish, insider trading in the desert? He didn’t grow them, they just showed up one day, and then they were gone.  We, on the other hand grew our tomatoes in old olive oil tins. They were big tins, about a gallon or more each. I remember them being very messy. Dirt, rust and flaking paint. 

Did you know that in Canada it is legal to coat a commercial Black Forest Ham with powdered rust instead of caramel? Really? Come on Canada, I know you are tired of being described as America’s hat, but really?

I should try that at Starbuck’s: 

“I would like a venti two pump sugar free vanilla rust macchiato, extra hot, extra foam, extra caramel with the shots poured on top” 

That always p!$$e$ the coffee jockeys off, and it makes you sound stupid. Macchiato means marked; as in the foam is marked by the shots of coffee. They are always poured on top on a Macchiato.

Now if they could get the rust flavor just right. 

I am sure we grew other stuff out there too but can’t for the life of me remember. 

I only remember the tomatoes.

Oh, and water balloons. We used to fill them with cola and toss them out off the balcony so they landed outside the compound wall and into the street. 

Looking back that probably wasn’t the wisest thing to do in a city where almost everyone is armed with a Kalashnikov. 

But we were kids, rather snotty, stuck up kids. I think I good thrashing would have done any of us a world of good. There is an ancient Egyptian saying that still holds true: “A child’s ears are on his bottom he listens when he is beaten.” And of course my name is being entered into a database right now so that I can be monitored if I ever have children. Just because I believe that all children need a good thrashing every now and again. 

Ingredients:

1 Onions chopped

½ Green pepper diced

1 Large or 2 Roma tomatoes chopped

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1-2 Cloves of garlic

Sea salt and pepper to taste 

How you do this? I tell you now: 

Cook the onions and green pepper with the garlic until lightly browned adds the tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes. Set aside, in a clean skillet scramble the eggs when they are becoming slightly dry add the tomato mixture and cook for 2 minutes more. Pile on slices of French bread that have been brushed with olive oil and toasted in the oven for 3-4 minutes.

Serve immediately with a glass of Riesling and a undeserved sense of smug self satisfaction.