As you might expect, croissants make wonderful French toast. They are rich and tender and easy to eat. (I like to think there’s something fitting about turning French croissants into French toast… though I doubt they make it this way in France.) They don’t need maple syrup to make them taste good – fresh fruit does the trick much better.

My “special occasion” for making it this morning was supposed to be the approaching end of strawberry season in DC. Vendors at the farmer’s market were telling me there were only a couple weeks left, so I figured it was a good time for French toast and strawberries. But then we found the first raspberries of the season, so we had to change plans and have French toast with raspberries instead.

Good, fresh raspberries are precious. They’re hard to find, they’re pricey, and they don’t keep well. But I love them so much that it’s worth getting them whenever they’re in season (and that it’s worth taking up limited patio space on a crazy experiment to grow them myself – which has yielded a few flowers so far, so it seems to be working!)

They do keep quite badly – I’ve had too many bad experiences of leaving raspberries in the fridge even for a day, and finding them moldy. That’s just heartbreaking, so I always try to eat them the same day I get them. It’s not very hard.

I didn’t do anything special to make the French toast. I used one croissant per person, and made my usual batter of one egg, an equal amount of milk, a big pinch of sugar, and a bit of vanilla. (That amount was just right for 2 servings.) Then cut the croissants in half, coat both sides in batter, then cook each side until it’s lightly browned. Serve it with any sort of fresh berries and, if you want to be truly decadent, some whipped cream or creme fraiche.

Then go dream about it until it’s berry season again.

When I got home, the first nostalgia-inspired dish I made was breakfast tacos.  They probably almost certainly weren’t the real thing.  I don’t know the history behind breakfast tacos, but they’re an Austin specialty, and the locals love them so fiercely that I’m sure they’re steeped in tradition. (Austin readers: is this true?)

Most of the ones I had in Austin were similar, and very simple: potatoes, scrambled eggs, and cheese on a small flour tortilla.  Maybe some chicken or beef for you carnivores. Wrapped in foil, with salsa on the side.  You can see why they’re supposed to be a great hangover cure.  (Not that anyone at SXSW has tested that theory…)

Mine were sort of like that, but different enough that it was probably sacrilege.  I don’t care. They were tasty, and that’s the point. I used scrambled eggs, but sweet potatoes in place of regular ones, and a nice strong smoked cheddar that we happened to have.  I also used corn tortillas instead of flour ones, and they added a nice heartiness.

If you’re not religious about your breakfast tacos, then they’re as flexible as you want them to be.  There’s no recipe: just pick your fillings and load them onto a warm tortilla.  Scramble some eggs.  Pan-fry some potatoes.  Add beans. Or sausage, or even tofu.  Use cheddar cheese, or jack, or queso fresco.  Pile them high with veggies.  Dip them in salsa.

Just don’t work too hard at it – it is breakfast, after all.

But it’s not often I get to use fresh fruit – fruit season and oatmeal season don’t overlap much.  So, when I saw a box of raspberries at the farmer’s market this weekend, I knew I had to buy them and use them right away.  I had already been pondering oatmeal for brunch, and thought I would mix them in.  Oatmeal with raspberries!  It would be perfect.

I got my berries home and set about making oatmeal – boil the water, add the oats, simmer until done.  Except, as the oats were cooking, I found myself looking around for something to add that would complement the berries, and my nose was drawn to the mug of Earl Grey steeping on the counter.  Tea in oatmeal?  I pondered it.  Why not?  I poured half the mug into the oatmeal pot, and replenished the water in my mug.  I let it cook a little more to absorb the tea, then added some maple syrup, stirred in the raspberries.

It was good!  So good that I would do it again if I had the chance.  Anything with raspberries could hardly fail to be good, but in this case the ingredients melded really nicely.  In fact, I might try it again with frozen berries, which are both easier to come by and more economical.  The berries made it luxurious, and the tea – a successful experiment – gave it a hint of sophistication.  Next time, I would add the tea at the beginning, in place of most of the water, or else I might steep a tea bag as the water heated up.  Either way, I’d look for a stronger flavor.

And I regret that I don’t have pictures.  This was one of those spontaneous dishes that I didn’t think to photograph until I’d eaten half of it.

I’m still on the lookout for more fun oatmeal toppings.  Any suggestions?