Scrambled Eggs With Tomatoes, Greek Style

In this Sunday’s magazine, Mark Bittman shares some recipes from Diane Kochilas, an American chef of Greek descent, and expresses relief to discover that her recipes are simpler than he had imagined. That’s certainly the case with Kochilas’s strapatsada, which can be made in five minutes.

Strapatsada – Scrambled Eggs With Tomatoes

Serves 2

2 large, ripe, firm tomatoes

2 tablespoons extra virgin Greek olive oil

1 garlic clove, finely chopped (optional)

1 tablespoon fresh or dried mint or oregano

4 large eggs, slightly beaten

½ cup grated Greek feta or kefalotyri cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Lop off a dime-size piece of the base of the tomato using a sharp knife. Grate the tomato from the base along the coarse side of an upright hand grater.

2. In a 10-inch frying pan over medium heat, warm the olive oil and add the garlic. Cook for a minute or so, careful not to burn. Add the tomatoes. Cook them until all their water has cooked off and all that’s left is thick pulp, about 10 minutes.

3. Pour in the eggs and herbs. Season with salt and pepper. Stir all together with a wooden spoon. Remove when the eggs are cooked to desired doneness, anywhere between 5 and 8 minutes.

4. Transfer to serving plates and sprinkle with grated Greek feta or kefalotyri cheese.