The Villager Recipe

Prepare and toast bread

Preheat a skillet or grill pan over medium heat. Brush both sides of each sourdough slice with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil (use the butter instead if preferred). Toast the bread 2–3 minutes per side, pressing lightly, until golden brown and crisp but still slightly chewy inside. Alternatively, toast in a 400°F (200°C) oven on a baking sheet for 6–8 minutes, flipping once.

Keep toasted slices warm on a rack or sheet while assembling toppings.

Grate the tomato

Bring a large bowl and a box grater. Quarter the beefsteak tomato and remove the core. Using the largest holes on the grater, grate the cut face of each quarter directly into the bowl, discarding the skin after grating. This produces a coarse, juicy tomato pulp.

Season tomato

Gently fold in 1 teaspoon sea salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon dried oregano and 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice (if using). Taste and adjust seasoning; let sit 3–5 minutes so juices mingle.

Make hard-boiled eggs

Place the eggs in a small saucepan and cover with cold water by 1 inch. Bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, cover, remove from heat, and let sit for 9 minutes for fully set yolks. Transfer eggs to an ice bath for 5 minutes. Peel and slice each egg into 4 slices (or coarsely chop if preferred).

Prepare feta

If your feta is very wet, drain and pat lightly with paper towel. Coarsely shred or crumble 3 ounces of feta so it will distribute evenly over the toast.

If using mayonnaise or Greek yogurt, mix with a pinch of salt and a little pepper to spread lightly on the toast base (optional step to add creaminess).

Build each toast

If you used mayo/Greek yogurt, spread approximately 1/2 teaspoon on each toasted slice. Spoon an even layer of the seasoned grated tomato across the four slices (about 1/4 of the tomato mixture per slice), allowing some juice to soak into the bread but not making it soggy. Sprinkle roughly 3/4 ounce (about 1.25 tablespoons) of shredded feta on each toast.

Add egg and finish

Top each toast with 2–3 slices of hard-boiled egg (or a quarter of a chopped egg). Drizzle the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil over the toasts (about 1/2 tablespoon per two toasts), or use more sparingly. Finish with a light pinch of dried oregano and freshly ground black pepper. Garnish with chopped chives or parsley if using.

Arrange 1 cup mixed fresh fruit on a small platter or alongside the toasts. Drizzle with 1 teaspoon honey if desired. Serve the fruit chilled or at room temperature to complement the savory toast.

Serve the four sourdough toasts immediately while warm, alongside the fresh fruit. Provide extra cracked black pepper and oregano at the table.