Everything Eggs!

We are fortunate enough to live on enough acreage that enables us to keep chickens. Our chickens live free range and are only fed organic feed. This combination produces the most wonderful eggs; deep orange yolks buried inside an odd variety of egg sizes and colors ranging from beige to blue. With an endless supply of eggs, I find myself compelled to dream up different ways to cook and eat eggs.

Breakfast around our house just wouldn’t be breakfast without eggs. The key to eggs for breakfast every day is to keep it interesting! Try ‘Eggs in Tomato Cups’ for a completely different presentation of and egg and a tomato. Strattas, crepes, omelets are all made completely unique by simply using whatever ingredients you have on hand. One of our favorite recipes this month is, ‘Polenta with Smoked Salmon & Poached Eggs’, the flavors compliment each other perfectly in this surprisingly delicious meal. For a great side dish for breakfast, lunch or dinner, try ‘Potato and Egg Torta’, simple to make and just as satisfying to eat.

If you’re on the go and have no time to cook a big breakfast, try my favorite quick breakfast. This is best with very fresh eggs. Simply fry two eggs in a little butter. While the eggs are frying, heat a dry cast iron skillet over high heat. When hot, place a gf corn tortlla on the skillet and cook until brown spots begin to appear on the pan side. Flip over and cook until tortilla is soft, this will only take a few minutes. Cook two tortillas this way, roll up and serve with eggs. The tortillas are delicious with soft egg yolks and perfect for mopping them up. You'’ll never miss toast again!

Cooking eggs:

Poached: Heat a fairly deep skillet of water to a simmer. When the water is simmering, carefully crack the eggs into the water. Cook the eggs at a simmer for approximately 3 minutes. You can cook longer depending on how firm you like your yolks but do not cook longer than 5 minutes. Remove eggs with a slotted spoon.

Hard boiled: Bring a pot of water to a boil relative in size to the amount of eggs you want to cook. There should be enough water to cover all the eggs. Add about a Tablespoon of salt to the water. I know that that sounds like an incredible amount of salt, but salt helps to free the egg membrane from the shell so that it is easier to peel. This is particularly true of very fresh eggs. Once the water is boiling, gently place the eggs in the water with a slotted spoon. Turn the heat down slightly so that it is still boiling, but less vigorously. Remove eggs after 8 minutes and plunge into an ice water bath to cool. Peel eggs after 1 minute. If you prefer firmer yolks, cook the eggs up to 10 minutes.

Scrambled: The best pan for scrambled or fried eggs is a non-stick skillet. It is not necessary to add any liquid to the eggs when scrambling. Just about anything can be added to scrambled eggs, salt and pepper, vegetables, cheeses, meats, fish and/or herbs. Cook the eggs over low heat and stir frequently. The eggs will continue to cook when you turn the heat off, so turn the heat off just before you think the eggs are done.

For more great egg recipes try:

Eggs Benedict
Spanish Tortilla
Shrimp Stuffed Eggs
GF Mayonnaise
Lemon Curd
Angelfood Cake with Strawberries
Creme Brulee