Eggs

Farmer’s Market Booty

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The waterfowl of Farm Pond had been our alarm clock for over two weeks. We’d been renting a home, built in 1900, with an unobstructed view of Farm Pond and the Nantucket Sound beyond. Early mornings had found us on the wraparound front porch, steaming cup of coffee in hand, dogs snoozing by our side, while we sit quietly and watch the pond’s feathered friends perform for us. It’s how we’d like to begin everyday of our lives, but alas, we had to leave Martha’s Vineyard. 
My goal this trip had been to hit as many of the island farms as possible, and I’m happy to report that I made a sizable dent. The only down side to having so many beautiful/quaint farms at your disposal is that one (being me) tends to over buy. Every piece of produce looks so gorgeous that I have a hard time walking away. A few days ago I picked up way too many ears of fresh corn (they were just picked, so who could blame me?) and I spent days trying to use up all those beautiful kernels. I’d put them in salads, on crostinis, in salsas, inside of omelets, you name it, and I’d put corn in or on it.
Every islander knows about the fantastic West Tisbury Farmer’s Market held in The Grange Hall, on State Rd, every Wednesday and Saturday from June until October (Wednesdays are from June until late August). I’d made several trips during our two weeks and loaded up on a menagerie of artisanal items. You can find blended teas, products made with lavender, soaps, salves, sea salt, herbs, orchids, pies, locally farmed meat, eggs, island made cheeses, and the list goes on and on. Who knew there were so many talented individuals living on one small island?
It being summer on the Vineyard, we had a house full of people the entire time we were on the island, so spent a fair amount of time in the kitchen. I love to feed people, so I’m not complaining, but the name of the game those days was fast and fresh.
After perusing the market last Saturday, I came home with some gorgeous heirloom tomatoes, just picked peaches, fromage frais (a soft creamy cheese, and my latest obsession), freshly laid eggs, basil, bread, sweet Italian sausage, herbs, and some lunch ideas to feed a hungry crowd.
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If you’re looking for a fast, nutritious, juicy, wake up your mouth kind of thing, this crostini is right up your alley. Here’s what you’ll need to prepare 10 to 12 crostinis –
1 loaf of fresh bread
1 large heirloom tomato
2 ripe peaches
1 jar of fromage frais (subsitite with fromage blanc or softened goat cheese)
Sea salt
Fresh basil to garnish
Slice your bread thick enough (how much bread depends on how many hungry mouths you’ll be feeding) that it can hold a spoonful of delicious topping without giving way. Lightly toast and let cool.
Dice your heirloom tomato and peaches and place in a bowl. If you have any leftover deliciousness (doubtful) when you’re done feeding your peeps, pop it into the fridge for those late night feeding frenzies. Or you could use it later as a salad. Add a little burrata or goat cheese? Maybe some greens?
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Spread fromage frais on the toasted bread, then spoon a bit of the tomato and peach mixture on top, sprinkle on some sea salt, and garnish with a chiffonade (fancy word for julienne) of fresh basil. So easy and tasty.
Alongside the crostinis I served a frittata and some sweet Italian sausage patties. Here’s the recipe for the frittata –
Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees
10 farm fresh eggs
2 baby leeks (white and light green parts only), washed and minced
Fresh goat cheese
2 small waxy potatoes (I used red), diced very small
1 ½ tsp. fresh minced oregano
1 ½ tsp. sea salt (sprinkle on some finishing salt at the end of cooking)
1 tbsp. of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
Pour EVOO into a large non-stick skillet and heat until shimmering. Add the potatoes and ½ tsp. of salt. Sauté on medium heat until almost cooked through. Add the baby leeks and cook until soft and fragrant.
Whisk your eggs vigorously in a large bowl until they’re almost frothy. Add the minced oregano and 1 tsp. of salt. Slowly pour the eggs into the skillet with the potatoes and leeks. Dot the top with some goat cheese (the amount is up to you). Cook on medium heat until you see the edges begin to set. Pop the pan into the oven until the frittata is fully set through to the middle. If you’re unsure if it’s done, push lightly on the middle of the frittata. It should be soft, but not liquid-y.
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Every ingredient in the photo above came from the West Tisbury Farmer’s Market. How cool is that?
We are also blessed with a fabulous Farmer’s Market in Laguna Beach and every Saturday as I stroll through the isles, I thank my lucky stars!
Eat well,
April

“We learn from our gardens to deal with the most urgent question of the time: How much is enough.” – Wendell Berry

Egg Tartine

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A lonely radish was rolling around in our crisper drawer just begging to be devoured, so we complied. Because it was lunchtime a traditional salad would have been the easiest thing to do, but then I spied the eggs and decided upon an egg tartine (French for open-faced sandwich) with a simple salad on top. After rummaging around the fridge for a few other items I got to work. Here’s what you’ll need to make a delicious lunch for two –

1 small container of part-skim ricotta

1 radish bulb

A French baguette cut into two pieces wide enough to hold one egg each

2 eggs

A handful of baby spinach

Juice from ½ lemon

1 tbsp. + 1 tsp. EVOO

1 heirloom tomato

Hot sauce (optional)

Salt and pepper to taste

You should toast the baguette in an oven, toaster oven, or a Panini Press. I chose the latter.

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Slice the radish into coins. Stack the coins and cut into matchsticks.

Remove the stems from your spinach leaves. Stack the leaves in batches and julienne.

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Add the radishes and spinach to a bowl. Toss with the lemon juice and 1 tsp. of EVOO. Lightly season with salt and pepper.

Slice your heirloom tomato into 2 – ½” slices.

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Pour the 1 tbsp. of EVOO into a non-stick pan and put your heat on med-high. Once the EVOO begins to shimmer, crack your eggs and carefully pour (don’t want to break the yokes!) directly over the hot EVOO. You’ll get quite a bit of splattering during this cooking process but as you can see by the photo, the egg puffs up and becomes gorgeous. Sprinkle some course sea salt and pepper over your eggs. Remove the eggs from the pan once the white around the yolk has completely set.

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Spread some ricotta (how much is up to you) on a baguette and begin to layer the tartine.After the ricotta comes the tomato, the egg, a smattering of hot sauce (my favorite is smokey Serrano by Boulder Hot Sauce seen in the photo above), and then finally the salad. Yummalicious!

Eat well,

April

“So long as you have food in your mouth, you have solved all questions for the time being.” – Franz Kafka

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Crispy Fried Egg and Kale Salad

Eggs often receive a bad rap when in fact they are a super food. One humble little egg contains vitamins A, B5, B12, B2, D, E, K, B6, calcium, zinc, folate, phosphorus, and selenium!! They’re also a compact source of protein (6 grams). An egg contains almost every nutrient the human body requires. The bad rap comes from the fact that they are high in cholesterol; however, it’s important to remember that cholesterol in the diet doesn’t automatically raise cholesterol in the blood. The French don’t concern themselves with all of the claptrap about eggs, bread, pastries, and butter and look at how svelte they are. They enjoy all kinds of food in moderation and they’re doing just fine. That being said, with Roger’s brain still healing, I continue to load him up with only good fats, protein, plenty of greens, and zero gluten or sugar. We’ll go back to practicing moderation, as we always have, once this cancer is behind us.

I made this dish for his breakfast the other morning. What you see below is only one serving (except for the dressing, which I used on kale salads and beets the rest of the week), so you’ll have to modify the measurements in order to serve more than one.

Dressing

1/2 cup Fage yogurt

Juice of 2 large limes

1 tbsp. + 1 tsp. chopped chives

pinch of sugar

Egg Dish

¼ cup tiny tomatoes (I used pear tomatoes)

A handful of baby kale

1 tsp. feta cheese

1/3 cup garbanzo beans, rinsed

1/8 cup pre-cooked quinoa, optional (I always have a batch on hand in the fridge)

1/2 tsp. smoked paprika

2 tsp. ghee

1 ripe avocado

sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

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First you make your dressing. Add the yogurt, limes, pinch of sugar, feta (adds saltiness) and chives to a small bowl. Whisk with a fork and set aside.

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Slice your tomatoes in ½.

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Crisp up your garbanzo beans in ghee. Add the quinoa and smoked paprika. Set aside to cool.

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Begin building your breakfast. Give your kale a massage to soften up the leaves. Toss them with some of the yogurt dressing. Add the tomatoes, then the chickpea mix. Set aside.

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Wipe out your non-stick pan and add the other tsp. of ghee to middle of the pan. Place the pan on med-high and melt. Once the ghee begins to shimmer, crack the egg into the center of the ghee. Sprinkle some sea salt and pepper over the egg and turn the heat down to medium. Cook until the edges are nice and crispy. The yolk will be warm and still runny.

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Remove from the pan and lay on top of your assembled salad. Top with slices of avocado and serve.

Eat well,

April

“It may be the cock that crows, but it is the hen that lays the eggs.” – Margaret Thatcher

 

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