anyone else feel like they’re hibernating this winter? i love the lingering overcast sky but i think it contributes to my sense of slowness and lowness. aside from being lazy as a sloth and having a hard time finding balance in my sleep schedule, though, i feel good. peaceful. an ambiguous but vaguely forward momentum drifts and drives. with the end of each short day i find i’m not crossing nearly as many things off my lists as i might have hoped, but here i am: immersing myself in an unfamiliar pool of acceptance. it feels nice. it doesn’t feel ambitious and it doesn’t feel like disappointment. it feels healthy. alive and not impelled by the expectation of aspirations.

during this slow and strange season, heat and tang and zest and spice provide precious respite. pairings of sweet with deep and earthy with zingy tickle the tongue and awaken the senses. the mornings beg for bright and vibrant meals and a spicy and savory breakfast beckons warmth and light and sets us on our feet instead of back to bed. say hello to option hot. option savory. option bleak and beautiful winter morning made bright with food and love.

savory buckwheat breakfast scramble with soft fried tofu and scallion

about preparing buckwheat — it’s the best kind of easy. the kind where you don’t have to cut corners or compromise and still you reap real reward. soak the buckwheat groats to make them more nutritive and cook up a big pot of them to last through the week. put them in salads, toss them with roasted veggies, make sweet porridges, and enjoy a warm and welcoming breakfast like this one on a whim. or soak and sprout just slightly and stick them in the fridge until you’re ready to cook with them. the uncooked, soaked groats blend up easily to make an incredible flatbread or pizza crust, or crisp up in a dehydrator to top a vibrant winter fruit bowl.

this is my favorite way to prepare tofu lately. with its own lovely texture and consistency preserved in long and tender slices, this scrambled tofu feels less like an analogue or a substitute than the crumbly version, to my tongue.

fixin’s
the green part from the scallion, sliced thinly / red pepper flakes or powder / more nooch / black pepper / flaky salt

finish & assembly
first the buckwheat, then the tofu, then all the fixin’s! the scallion makes it. don’t skimp!

notes & ideas
this would be so delicious with some vegetables scrambled with the tofu — broccoli or brussels sprouts being the first that come to mind.

i used to employ the same spices for a barley and fried eggs version of this. it’s crazy good.

other ways to break your fasts

• peanut butter & jelly smoothie
• simple soaked buckwheat pancakes + two variations
• raspberry tahini smoothie + blogging, sharing, humaning
• savory buckwheat breakfast scramble with soft fried tofu and scallion
• (pine)apple mango smoothie with vanilla & black tea + links of late
• spiced apple smoothie + thoughts on food and sharing
• adventures in georgia with friends + millet sweet potato campfire congee (recipe)
• crispy fried egg + coconut cornbread with orange peel and honey butter drizzle
• sweet potato pie porridge + cocoa-nut molasses granola
• gingerbread pancakes + chocolate molasses syrup