The flavour of baby tomatoes is intensified with slow roasting, add together with crispy bacon and a perfectly poached egg and you have one delicious salad!

Serves: 4
Difficulty: easy
Preparation time: 40 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes

Balsamic Tomatoes
320 g vine tomatoes
1 Tbsp (1 5ml) Balsamic vinegar
1 tsp (5 ml) garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp (5 ml) honey
salt and pepper

Maple-glazed Bacon
200 g streaky bacon
1 Tbsp (15 ml) maple syrup

Bruschetta
12 baguette slices
oil, for drizzling
1 tsp (5 ml) sesame seeds

Poached Eggs
4 extra large eggs
white wine vinegar

Dressing
3 Tbsp (45 ml / 45 g) butter
2 Tbsp (30 ml) red onion, finely chopped
1 tsp (5 ml) garlic, finely chopped
⅓ C (80 ml) apple cider vinegar
1 tsp (5 ml) honey
1 tsp (5 ml) cream
1 Tbsp (15 ml) chives, finely chopped

To Assemble
120 g cos lettuce
2 avocados
50 g Pecorino cheese
basil leaves, to garnish

Balsamic Tomatoes
Preheat the oven to 200 °C.

Toss the tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, garlic and honey together; season with a pinch of salt and pepper and roast for 15 minutes.

Maple-glazed Bacon
Place the bacon on a baking tray. Roast for 10 minutes. Brush the bacon with maple syrup and roast for another 2-3 minutes until crisp.

Bruschetta
Place the baguette slices onto a baking tray. Drizzle with a little olive oil and scatter sesame seeds onto each slice. Bake for 6-8 minutes until crisp.

Poached Eggs
Bring a saucepan filled with water to a gentle simmer. Add a splash of white wine vinegar. Gently crack the eggs into the water and poach for 2-3 minutes, for a soft poach, alternatively leave them in for an extra minute or two if you prefer your eggs a little firmer.

Dressing
Heat the butter, onion and garlic in a saucepan over medium heat and gently sauté for 1 minute. Add the vinegar, honey and cream and cook for a further 1 minute. Stir in the chives.

To Assemble
Place the salad leaves into a salad bowl or serving plate. Scatter the tomatoes and bacon on top. Add the poached eggs. Use a spoon to scoop out the avocado flesh into bite-size pieces and add to the salad. Use a vegetable peeler to make Pecorino shavings and scatter on top of the salad.

Drizzle the warm dressing over the top; garnish with basil leaves and serve with the baked bruschetta on the side.

TIP: Ricotta, goats cheese or feta will work just as well if you want an alternative to the Pecorino cheese.

Recipe by Illanique van Aswegen

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