Author: ebeth

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Egg Dishes

Eggs are a staple in our home, and probably in many homes in America.  Eggs are a quick and excellent source of protein. We have several couples that buy 2-3 dozen eggs a week, and that is their main source of protein throughout their week.

 

In our home we use eggs by themselves as fried eggs, or hard-boiled or steam-boiled eggs; as the main dish in fried rice or magic quiche; as a part of a macaroni or potato salad; and as part of baked goods, like coffee cake, blueberry muffins, or cookies.  Since we like to have an egg meal at least once a week year round, we also freeze lightly blended eggs during the spring abundance, so that we have them in the less abundant wintertime.

Chickens that are raised outdoors in fresh air and sunshine produce good meat and excellent eggs. The eggs are sturdier, the yolks are brighter, and the cooked product is tastier than its barn-raised counterpart. Both are eggs, and both are good for you. But the ones from the chickens raised outdoors are better, and our customers regularly confirm this.

In this last week of the April Egg challenge, use some local eggs, mine or someone else’s. Let me know what you made and how it tasted.  And check out the recipes that others have shared  in the comments of this post.

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Steam boiled eggs

We have recently begun steam boiling eggs, rather than hard boiling them.  We googled it, looked at several recipes, and came up with this one.

Bring eggs to room temperature.  Bring about 1/2 inch of water in pan to a boil.  Put the steamer pan in the top.  Fill with eggs – our pan holds about 20.  Put lid on pan and reduce heat to low.  Steam for 20 minutes.  (If you are steaming only 1 layer of eggs, then 12-15 minutes should be enough.) Remove eggs from heat and put in cold water.  Sometimes we put ice in the water, but not always.  Let sit for 15 minutes.

Use any eggs you want.  Use a pencil to mark the rest HB (hard boiled).  Put in refrigerator until you want to use them.

We use ours within 5 days, so they haven’t gone bad.  Eggs are sturdy by themselves.  So I would only hard boil enough eggs that would get used in 5 days.

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Fried Rice

 

Fried Rice

Print Recipe
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Vegetables - 3 cups that could include these:
  • 1 cup diced carrots
  • 1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels, defrosted
  • 1/2 cup fresh or frozen peas. defrosted,
  • 1 1/2 cup frozen mixed vegetables, substitute for corn and peas above
  • 1/2 cup chopped scallions
Rest of the ingredients
  • 2 tbsp grapeseed, canola, peanut, or vegetable oil
  • 4 cups cold cooked rice
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp ground white pepper
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts, almonds, peanuts, or cashews
  • 2 tbsp minced cilantro, opt.

Method
 

  1. Optional Step - Egg Pancake: There are several ways of adding egg to your finished fried rice. You can simply cook in the beaten egg at the end of cooking, or you can make an egg pancake. To do this, heat the pan and add 1 teaspoon of oil. Swirl in the oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Add a beaten egg and tilt the wok so that the egg covers the surface like a crepe. Cook the pancake about 30 seconds to a minute until it's just set. Use a metal spatula and flip the pancake and cook for 5 seconds or until set. Cut into small strips and add to fried rice near the end of cooking.
  2. Heat the pan.  Cook egg if making egg pancake. SEE ABOVE.  Otherwise,
  3. Add the Carrots and Stir-Fry: Add the carrots and stir fry for 30 seconds, or until the carrots are bright orange.
  4. Add the Corn and Peas and Stir-Fry: Add the corn and peas and stir fry for 1 minute.
  5. Add 1 More Tablespoon Oil: Swirl the remaining tablespoon of oil into the pan.
  6. Add the Rice and Scallions and Stir-Fry for 2 Minutes: Add the rice and scallions stir-fry for 2 minutes, breaking up the rice with the spatula until it is heated through.
  7. Season the Rice: Season the rice with the salt and white pepper.
  8. Add the Sauce: Pour the soy sauce around the edges of the wok and stir-fry.
  9. Finish the Rice: Add the chopped egg pancake and pine nuts. Toss to combine. OR you can stir in 1 beaten egg. Stir-fry until the egg is no longer wet.
  10. Stir in the cilantro.

Notes

Stir-Fried Rice in a 12-inch Skillet: If you are cooking in a 12-inch stainless steel skillet, halve the recipe to prevent rice from falling out of the pan.
Substituting Other Vegetables: Substitute up to 2 1/2 cups of vegetables in place of the carrots, frozen corn, and frozen peas. Leftover meat (shredded or diced small) can also be added.
Original recipe here
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Magic Quiche

 

Magic Quiche

Flour is mixed with eggs and milk.  This cooks to form a crust as it bakes. This is based on the Magic Quiche recipe found in the Le Leche League cookbook, Whole Foods for the Whole Family.
Print Recipe
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

Items in the quiche - up to 2 cups combined
  • Veggies, like onions, mushrooms, broccoli, tomatoes, scapes, potatoes
  • Meat, like cooked bacon, ground beef, or sausage; leftover chicken, pork or beef;
Cheese
  • 1 cup grated cheese
Egg mixture
  • 6 eggs
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • Salt or pepper or other herbs to taste, opt.
  • 1 1/2 cups milk or cream

Method
 

  1. Grease pie pan.  Prepare veggies and meat.  Place in bottom of the pan.
  2. Put grated cheese on top of veggies and meat.
  3. Blend eggs, flour, herbs, and milk.  Pour over other ingredients. 
  4. Bake at 350F for 50 minutes or until golden brown and knife inserted in center comes out clean.
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April Challenge – Eggs

Have you been looking for locally grown food this year?  This month’s challenge is to find and use locally grown eggs.  It shouldn’t be hard this time of year. Any hen that is going to lay eggs will lay in the spring.  We have a full refrigerator to support that claim!

We have recently moved our chickens from the barn area to the grassy areas.  We usually do this around March 15, but with the snow and muck this spring we didn’t get to do it until the 30th.  So now our hens and roosters can have true free range and fresh air and sunshine. Here is a hen walking down the run to the ground.And here are some of the chickens eating their feed for the day.

Fresh air and sunshine are an excellent combination for the production of most food.  And raising layers outdoors leads to an excellent egg!

We sell eggs by the dozen – $4.00 / dozen.  Email us if you would like us to set some aside for you.

Later this month I will give you some suggestions about how to cook with eggs.  In the meantime, what do you make with eggs?  Do you use locally grown eggs or free range eggs?  How do eggs fit into your diet?

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Creamed Chicken – A Comfort Food

This month the local cooking challenge focus is chicken.  As we sell our chickens as whole frozen birds, a lot of my chicken meals begin that way – chicken over rice or chicken over potatoes.  But usually I have leftovers, especially if I have cooked 2 chickens at the same time.  These can be made into chicken soups, chicken sandwiches, chicken salad, or chicken casseroles.

Recently I made Creamed Chicken, a recipe that I grew up with that came from the Mennonite Cookbook.  It is one of those comfort foods, warm and nourishing, good for a winter evening.

Continue reading “Creamed Chicken – A Comfort Food”

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March on the Farm

March can have so many different faces.  Last week we were looking at 12 inches of snow with paths cleared, but a good snow cover on everything else.  With the freeze-thaw pattern – below 32F at night and above during the day – we will see the snow compact and will see some water leave the property, but much will get soaked into the ground.

If we didn’t have the snow cover, then we would be in mud season.

If it gets warm enough, then we will think about working in the garden and would probably hang the laundry out to dry.

With these different faces, what is one to do in March?  Well, we keep doing what needs to be done – feed and water the animals, pitch manure when it is above freezing, cut firewood for the summer and next year.  Then we plan for the summer growing season – what seeds and tubers should be purchased, what chicks or poults will we want, what equipment needs to be repaired.  Next we purchase those things and repair broken things.  Finally, we learn, read, and take classes related to farming, so that we are better prepared when it is time to do our summer growing.

May you enjoy your March as we enjoy ours!

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March Challenge – Chicken

The March 2018 Local Food challenge is chicken.  As with other months, find chicken local to you, use it for a meal, and then comment here or email me about what you did and how it tasted.  For additional rules see the original post.

Whole chickens can be boiled, roasted, cut into parts and fried, or cooked in a crockpot or instant pot.  They can be served over rice or potatoes.   Leftovers can be used in soup or casseroles or sandwiches.

If you are local to us, chickens can be purchased from us for $5.00 / lb through March 31, 2018.  They were raised outdoors on our farm in fresh air and sunshine, were fed non-gmo grains, were processed by us and frozen, and are 4-6 lb.  I have been using them regularly as a main dish and for chicken broth and stock.  They taste good!

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2 Liver Pâtés

Here are 2 liver pâté recipes that we have used over the years.  The EAS Liver Pâté with variations is blended liver, milk, eggs and spices.  Lunchon Pork Pâté is blended liver and sausage.   Both taste good and are not hard to make.  Both can be eaten warm with crackers or bread, or can be used the day after for sandwiches.  My children prefer the one with sausage, which is not surprising, as many things taste better with sausage!

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Danish Liver Pâté

In the early days of our farm one of our customers was married to a man from Denmark.  His family made a liver pâté that was delicious.  I asked the customer for the recipe which she shared.  Her mother-in-law sent it to them in Danish, the son translated it, and the customer shared it with me.  This is that original recipe.  I have made edits to it here.
Continue reading “Danish Liver Pâté”