Keep 'Egging' Me On and I Promise I'll Make Something Amazing!

Keep ‘Egging’ Me On and I Promise I’ll Make Something Amazing!

Breakfast/Brunch / February 15, 2016

Organic. Cage Free. Hormone Free. Brown. Vegetarian. Local, or Jumbo. These are just a few of the things we must look for when buying eggs today. To me, it is an accounting of sins confessed. The list of “don’t haves,” is a clear definition of all the horribleness wrought upon eggs and chickens since commercialism began. I believe if people knew what our poor little cluckers have had to endure, we’d all go out and buy a little yellow chick, and give it a Maserati as penance.

The fact that we have been so disconnected from our food is shameful. Plopped unceremoniously into a cold bowl we whisk, boil, poach, scramble and separate our eggs without a deep understanding about their role as a core magical ingredient in the kitchen. They are the reason food is so versatile; why puddings are so lush, why Bearnaise is so velvety, why cookies hold together, and why the name Benedict is recognized as more of a meal than a traitor.

When I was young I was lucky enough to know what it meant to go the hen house with my great grandfather, and actually gather fresh eggs for breakfast. It is a whole different feeling than standing before those shiny refrigerated shelves in the supermarket and grabbing a Styrofoam container printed with as many disclaimers as titles. You know what? Eggs come out misshapen naturally, or even multi-colored at times, and they’re all different sizes; even from the same mommy. And when you break them open? The yolks are almost a dark orange, floating happily in the viscous clear liquid like pearls in the window of Tiffany’s.

I’m getting so excited now so, in honor of The Incredible Edible Egg™ (yes, the name is trademarked!) this blog post is dedicated to two beautiful dishes. One, a delicious and easy Quiche Lorraine to begin the day. The other, a lofty, sweet and gorgeous Lemon Souffle that is perfect for the end of the day.

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What is it about a quiche that is so romantic and elusive? Perhaps it is the way it rises into perfection in the oven in a nest of flaky crust. Or that you can add pretty much anything and everything to it so it reflects only your tastes. It can be filled with a half pound of bacon floating upon its yellow surface, or barely disturbed with only a bit of cheese and herbs. Either way it makes breakfast into a holiday. Check out the recipe below:

Bacon, Onion and Rosemary Quiche

Serves 4

Ingredients:

6 extra large eggs
7-8 slices of thick cut bacon (I used Black
Forest Ham flavored uncured bacon from
Trader Joe’s)
1 nine inch flaky pie crust (either store
bought or homemade.)
1/3 C finely chopped yellow onion
1 ½ t of fresh chopped rosemary
1 ½ t kosher salt
½ t pepper
1 5 oz tub plain, low fat Greek yogurt
1 C 2% milk
Butter for greasing pie plate if not using a
ready-made raw crust

Method:

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Cook the bacon in a pan until almost crisp. Remove and blot the extra grease. Cut into large chunks and set aside. Now cook the onion in the bacon grease until very soft. Remove with slotted spoon and set aside.
To prepare the crust, butter the inside and sides of a 9’ pie plate. Mix and then roll out the pie crust as directed on package and place in plate, fit inside the dish so it touches the bottom surface, then create pretty edges if desired. (I actually pull the top edge of the crust off mine, after it is cooked when I serve it, but I like having crust on the bottom.) Now sprinkle the cooked bacon and cooked onion on the bottom of the pie crust, distributing evenly.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the eggs, yogurt, milk, salt, pepper and rosemary. Whisk very, very well. Pour the egg mixture into the prepared crust, and cook in the oven for 45-50 minutes (I ended up cooking mine for 52 minutes,) until the gloss is gone on the center and it all has an even looking texture on the top. Remove and let sit for 5 minutes. Cut into crescents and serve!