Of Eggs.

Of Eggs

It occurs to me that after all of these posts I have yet to address the topic of eggs. How could I have been remiss in this?

The egg, in recent years has been much maligned as being a risk for heart disease due to high levels of cholesterol, but in a healthy individual, averaging one egg per day not only poses little to no risk, but actually gives produces health benefits. I’ve read some information that suggests as many as two per day still creates more positive health benefits than risks. More than two per day and you’re probably in more of a risk area. That doesn’t mean that if you’re starving at 2:00am and stop by the diner for late night breakfast and end up eating four eggs that you’re destined to die. It simply means lay off any eggs for the next day or two.  More recent studies are beginning to emerge to reverse the previous health warnings and out eggs back on the menu of healthy eating.

Here is an interesting article about an individual exploring the health benefits of three eggs every morning for breakfast. It should be noted, that this person averages four miles a day walking, so for the rest of us lazy slobs, one or two eggs a day tops is probably about right:

 i-ate-three-eggs-every-single-morning-for-a-week-heres-what-happened

Now, for those interested in the science of it, here is what Wikipedia has to say about the nutritional value of the humble egg:

 Egg_as_food_Nutritional_value

But not all eggs are created equal. Happy chickens lay happy eggs. What makes chickens happy is being able to forage, run around free, but in a safe environment. The more grass, bugs, worms, and so forth that they find on their own, the better. For the rest of their diet (or rather the main part of it) quality layer feed is essential. In addition to that, fresh, clean water and a calcium supplement and that is it. I could go on and on about treats, what sort, how much, other supplements, and on and on and on … but I will spare you. Mostly, it is about feed, water, calcium and forage!

If you were to read further into the Wikipedia link above, you can eventually scroll around and find out about the conditions of factory farmed eggs and the conditions under which the birds live. Upon learning of these facts, I vowed never to buy a store egg again unless marked ‘pasture raised’ or something akin to that. Even the labeling can be very misleading … ‘cage free’ is a better life for the chicken, but not by much!

So, upon regularly having fresh eggs from happy, well fed chickens, we were stunned. I had vague memories of the taste, but it was like a flood of memories long forgotten to me and a whole new world for my wife. Even today, we marvel at the dark yellow/orange of the eggs during the warm season when the girls are able to forage regularly. We delight in looking at the differences in egg sizes and shape and trying to determine which hen laid which egg.

Just to be sure I wasn’t losing my mind in a fantasy of imagined wholesome eggy taste brought on by a pride induced delusion, several weeks into having eggs only produced by our girls, I broke my above vow about store bought factory eggs. I had a coupon for a free dozen eggs. Store brand. Cheapest you can get. No ‘cage free, pasture fed, organic, omega 3 injected’ anything … just, well, ‘eggs’.

As I live and breathe, they tasted like cardboard by comparison. The yolks were pale. The consistency was flat. I have never since bought a ‘store egg’.

There are a million ways to prepare eggs, but I am a lousy cook. I can only cook well enough not to die. So, I still keep it simple usually. Scrambled, fried, hard boiled, etc. My favorite is soft boiled, but herself doesn’t fancy them the way I make them, so I don’t often eat them except on the rare occasion when the mood strikes me and she’s not at home. Ruby, our pet pig, LOVES them soft boiled, so we sometimes share that meal. My wife prefers poached and also frequently uses our fresh eggs in baking or making pancakes.

Never the less, I did run across a recipe for egg frittatas and the mood struck me. They are so good. Below is a picture (with the recipe I use) … not a FANCY picture like you’d find in a magazine of the professional cooking blogs, but a real picture of what I actually produced. If you modify the recipe with ground sausage instead of bacon, and/or kale instead of spinach, it is especially good! When the mood strikes me, I may want to substitute dandelion greens for the spinach.

 

I now make these from time to time and they're great for having at work when you’re starving but don’t have time to leave your desk to eat, let alone have a full lunch. They are also good to have in the fridge if you get up late, want some breakie and just don’t have the energy to cook anything elaborate.

One is a good snack and energy boost. Two are nearly a meal on their own, AND they are gluten free.

I’ve taken to calling them “Redneck Lembas”. They are exactly like the elvish lembas that Tolkien describes in his books except:

1)      There is no bread in it.

2)      Not made by elves.

3)      Won’t last without refrigeration.

4)      Actually exists.

But besides that … just like lembas.

Now, I promise you that I can’t cook, I don’t enjoy the task, and have limited ability at best (and that is putting it kindly). So, if *I* can make these … anyone can!

Now, because I can’t cook, I am kind of proud about the few things I manage. As a bonus, here is my recipe for acorn bread. You just need to read up on how to process acorns before you start, I would explain it, but then the blog would be drifting pretty far. As it is, I haven’t mentioned douche bags or roosters once! By the way, this acorn bread is ALSO made with eggs gifted to me by my girls.