Really you can even serve this for dinner too if you’d like. It all depends on how hungry you are. I’ve probably been making my version of Croque Madame before I even knew what it was called. Who doesn’t love cheese, bread and a little runny egg to blend it all together? Then, more recently I started localizing and the flavors were amazing.

There is just really nothing like a farm fresh pastured egg. Yes, you’re paying a bit (a lot) more than you would your standard white eggs, but I’m telling you once you try one, you’ll never go back. The yolks are so rich, a rich yellow-orange, almost neon color. Now I know my mother always taught me not to play with your food, but when you get a really fresh egg (I mean RIGHT from the farm), you can’t help it. You can easily separate the yolk from the white by hand, and you can literally toss the yolk up and down a bit without it breaking. The eggs I bought while we were in Maine required me to poke the yoke with my finger, rather forcefully I should say, before it broke.

So yes, the yoke really makes a great Croque Madame (a Croque Monsieur without the egg doesn’t even cut it!), but adding fresh ham, swiss and local just baked  bread certainly doesn’t hurt either. I’ve made this any time of day, and if I’m feeling a bit hungry, just double up the bread and add a tossed green salad.

Brooklyn Locavore’s Croque Madame

• 1 slice hearty bread or 2 if you’re hungry (I love Bread Alone’s Sourdough Rye)
• 1 tsp butter
• 1 tsp dijon mustard
• 2-3 slices Swiss cheese
• 1-2 slices Ham (If you can’t find local, go with Applegate Farms)
• 1 egg

Heat oven to 350°F. Toast bread. Spread toast with butter and mustard and place on cookie sheet. Layer with ham and Swiss cheese. Cook in oven for 7-10 minutes, until cheese is melted and maybe a tad browned.

In the meantime, coat nonstick frying pan with butter or cooking spray and heat on high. Once pan is warm, crack egg into pan, making sure yolk is intact and white does not spread too far. Cook until white starts to set. Turn heat down to low and cook further until white is almost all opaque. Flip egg and cook for another 30-60 seconds, depending how cooked or raw you prefer your yolk (I like it VERY raw, so only 30 seconds).

Remove toast from oven and plate. Place fried egg on top. Eat and enjoy.