From this photo, you can see where we are on spring - not far along. I looked up the other day when I was on the way to feeding the chickens and saw this nest in the tree near the house. Wow! I ran inside and used my camera to see the nest a little better. I wonder what kind of nest it is? Does anyone know? The very cool thing is it is made with bits of plastic netting from the hay bales and the inside is stuffed with sheep's wool. With the magic of Photoshop - here's what it is made of.....
I will have to keep looking for it in case it falls down one day. I wonder if anyone hatched in there? Amazing bit of the natural world using found objects!
My hens are really producing. I'm getting between 5 to 8 eggs a day. Here is their output for the past 3 days. All clean and ready to box up and keep in the refrigerator.
Because I don't sell my eggs, I'm trying to use them in many meals around here. Today for lunch I made myself Greek-Lemon Chicken Soup. The folks at Storey Publishing sent me a cookbook called The Fresh Egg Cookbook. What a great book this is - full of recipes for egg dishes and also full of stories about raising chickens. The author Jennifer Trainer Thompson is a Mom of two kids and in this cookbook she chronicles their adventures with chickens. This book is awesome for anyone raising chickens or even thinking about it.
Here's the recipe which I tweaked a bit and had for lunch. It is bright and light and just what is needed after the long winter. I added a few spears of asparagus because tis the season and the flavors blended nicely.
Greek Lemon-Chicken Soup
6 cups chicken broth
1/3 cup Arborio rice
1 carrot - shredded on a box grater
1 celery stalk diced small
1 small onion, chopped small
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 diced cooked chicken
6 stalks of asparagus cut on the diagonal into 1/2" pieces
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
1/4 cup lemon juice
1. In a soup pot, combine the broth, rice, shredded carrot, celery, onion and thyme. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until the rice is almost cooked - about 20 minutes.
2. Beat the eggs, egg yolks, and lemon juice in a small bowl. Ladle 2 cups of the soup broth into a 1 quart pyrex measuring cup. Slowly whisk in the egg mixture. Pour the broth and eggs back in to the pot. Add the chicken and the asparagus. Simmer and stir until the rice is fully cooked and the chicken and asparagus are done to your liking - 5 to 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and garnish with a lemon slice.
Here's the good news - Storey Books is going to give one of my readers a copy of Jennifer's "The Fresh Egg Cookbook." Here's how you enter.....
Tell me your favorite recipe that uses eggs.
Contest ends Monday April 28th.
As always, leave an easy way to get a hold of you. US addresses only please.
Have an egg-cellent day everyone. (Couldn't resist!)
53 comments:
The soup looks delicious and I will definitely try it. I love Greek Lemon Soup!! I love so many dishes with eggs it is hard to pick just one but one of my favorite cakes is homemade Angel Food cake. It is my husband's favorite. Once you have a homemade one you never want the store bought!
Baltimore orioles make hanging nests like that... do you have them there?
The soup looks yummy! My favorite recipe for eggs is Pineapple Casserole. Mmmmmm
I'm a sucker for Matzoh Brei - scrambled eggs with matzoh. I'll add some green onions for color and sit down happily to an easy meal.
My favorite style of egg is simply poached and used to top a salad or Korean bibimbap. Thanks for the chance to enter your giveaway! I think your nest belongs to an oriole but I don't know for sure.
I just had another thought about your bird nest. Email your picture to this Wild Bird Unlimited blog. She loves to get reader's pictures and "teach" about them on her blog. While it is Michigan, I think we have very similar climate and birds. I've read the blog for years and her various migrating birds show up at her feeders at the same time as mine!
http://lansingwbu.blogspot.com/
My recipe for ricotta pie is my fav. Uses 8 eggs -- a bit of sugar, vanilla, grated lemon rind. Delicious. Eggs are one of my favorite foods.
I also think the nest might belong to a Baltimore Oriole.
I love eggs. I was stumped thinking what was my favorite egg recipe and then it occurred to me that if I have lots of eggs I am tempted to make lemon butter (lemon curd to some). Wonder stuff and it keeps well in the refrigerator. I think I see making some lemon butter in the near future. gnlmutti@gmail.com
My favorite egg recipe is Greek Spinach Pie which uses 6 eggs. My sons loved this. They would never eat spinach plain, but they ate countless times in this pie. I made it for them for years. My oldest son, now married, wanted the recipe so he and his wife could make it!
I love deviled eggs. Along with the mashed yolks I add chopped fresh cilantro, some lime juice, ground cumin and coriander then enough mayo to make it fluffy. Fill the egg white and eat.
Sponge cake! I discovered the most difficult cake s to make are the 'egg foam cakes': Angel Food, Chiffon and Sponge. Each year I enter a sponge cake in the State Fair. The highest place I have been awarded is fourth, but I keep at it. I know that if I win Sweepstakes in that division, I will be the best of the best! :)
rita
cybereet@yahoo.com
Quiche and something the German restuarants call "Eier in Glas" (Eggs in Glass) Soft boiled eggs in shell, but then they de-shell them and serve the eggs in a glass. Not poached but boiled in the shell without the de-shelling mess. I loved them for breakfast with a croissant. :) Helen
We also have chickens, so eggs are plentiful at times. Nothing beats a quiche with spring asparagus or broccoli and red peppers. Our other favorite....deviled eggs made a variety of ways. The soup looks and sounds delicious!
diann325@gmail.com
My favorite is Key Lime Pie! I love the taste of fresh eggs though and beg them off my friends who have chickens as often as I can. Love the nest photo.
shing.hsieh@comcast.net
Lemon custard Ice Cream is one of my fav ways to quick use up 5 egg yolks. The dog then gets the extra whites on her food that day. My next fav is just eggs over easy. I could eat a couple of those every day if they are sizzled in a bit of real butter until the whites have just a bit of cristy to them and the yolks are still runny
I like a good egg salad ... eggs, mayo (which is like more eggs, I guess), salt and pepper. Thanks so much for your generosity, as always!
bookboxer1 at gmail dot com
My favorite type of egg is simply scrambled with salsa and a pinch of cheese. I hope I am the lucky recipient to expend my knowledge of egg recipes! Thanks for the giveaway.
One of my go to recipes for eggs is Fried Rice. I use rice and whatever leftover veggies are in the fridge, a little soy sauce, a couple of eggs and a quick meal is ready.
TAnn on Ravelry
My family uses lots and lots of eggs. But sometimes we overbuy (especially when there is a great sale!) and so we like to use up our egg stash by way of Scrambled Eggs with Ham. We use leftover spiral ham that has been glazed with preserves, usually peach or apricot. The sweet preserves with the eggs make a sweet and savory combination that is wonderful with a bit of toast. Thanks for hosting!
My go-to egg recipe is Julia Child's spinach soufflé. My second go-to egg recipe is a "cheater" Spanish tortilla using potato chips, by Ferran Adria and popularized by Jose Andres (among others).
I love eggs so deciding on a favorite recipe is hard. For my family it's egg sandwich's, my husband wins the prize for that. Otherwise quiche is my favorite. thanks for the giveaway.
phopkin1@rochester.rr.com
The egg book would be a great one for my worn-out cooking brain--but bacon/swiss cheese quiche I have made for over 40 years. And Love scrambled eggs with sundried tomatoes, spinach, mushrooms and onion. Yum. Thanks for the post and give-away.
HelzHart@aol.com
My favorite recipe really came into play this past week. We all lvoe Matza Brei....fried matzo and egg. Had it a few times this year during Passover and then again, whenever the mood hits! Try it, you'll like it.
Good day, Kristin and all! The nest in question is an oriole's nest. It will be replaced with a new nest for this year's use. This year's version could be built with bits of fabric, yarn etc, if you cut into 2-3 inch snippets (so they don't become entangled and meet their demise) and dropped in the flower beds to be found by the pair. Watch for brilliant yellow-orange and black birds and a vibrant melody from the tree tops. If you put out oriole feeders with the same nectar as used for hummingbirds, orange halves, etc you'll add to their early spring diets. Enjoy!!
My fav egg dish is egg noodles covered in white sauce, crush cheese crackers and put on top and then deviled eggs and bake it. It is delish.
I think that nest may belong to a Baltimore Oriole. Out in Ohio I have seen that bird one time but not it's nest.
Oh, and I really like to make quiches when I have time to make a homemade piecrust. I made one recently using goat cheese and whipping cream.... it was the best EVER.
Sweet baked goods are probably my favorite way to use eggs, especially cookies. I do make a corn casserole for Easter and Thanksgiving that uses quite a few eggs. My family requests it every year. I wish I could have chickens. I live in a very uptight and fearful community that does not allow backyard chickens. We can all carry guns, but God forbid we have chickens in our yards. Thanks for the book giveaway.
I love ham fried rice with some egg scrambled in it....yum! Love the bird nest pictures!
My mother is from Spain and I grew up with homemade mayonnaise. One cup olive oil slo-o-owly drizzled into 2 eggs whirling in the blender. Add salt and lemon juice taste. Oh so delicious! Especially in Ensalada Rusa....such good memories....
Ana - anahuron@gmail.com
I have a couple of favorite egg recipes. They are simple but yummy. I am not sure what this one is called but you put butter in a small frying pan and melt it on medium heat. Add an egg to the pan and fry for about 30 seconds add about two tablespoons water and put a lid on the pan. Let simmer until the top of the egg has turned white. While this is happening toast two slices of bread and spread butter or margarine (your choice) over the toast. When egg is done place on top of one slice of bread on a plate. Top with the other slice of bread and pour liquid left in frying pan over the egg toast sandwich.
The second one is made by frying about 2 Tablespoons of store bought choritzo with an egg, stirring and scrambling the egg into the choritzo. Eat with warmed tortillas.
Hi Kristin, your found nest definitely belongs to an Oriole - I also have them fall out from my poplar trees.
Having a free range farm flock of ducks, geese and chickens it's tough to come up with ONE favorite egg recipe.......
One-eyed sailors?, Scotch eggs? For camp cooking or a party brunch it's hard to beat OMELETS IN A BAG. Fun too!
Have guests write their name on a quart-size freezer bag with permanent marker.
Crack two eggs into the bag (not more than two); shake to combine them.
Put out a variety of ingredients such as: cheeses, ham, onion, green pepper, tomato, hash browns, salsa, etc. Each guest adds prepared ingredients of choice to their bag and shake.
Make sure to get the air out of the bag and zip it up. Place the bags into rolling, boiling water for exactly 13 minutes. You can usually cook 6-8 omelets in a large pot. For more, make another pot of boiling water.
Open the bags and the omelet will roll out easily. Be prepared for everyone to be amazed.
Nice to serve with fresh fruit and coffee cake. Everyone gets involved in the process, no dirty cleanup and a great conversation piece. ENJOY
Roxanne RASmartWay@gmail.com
Baked Custard is the BOMB and a great use of fresh eggs
Looks like the Baltimore Orioles nest. My daughter in law made little scrambled egg muffin like things for Easter brunch. They were great!
Patty
pclark204@comcast.net
My favorite egg recipe is Green Chile Egg Puff!
Ann
Annbreitler@gmail.com
My all time favorite way to use eggs is mKing quiche. I love the variety of ingredients. Could eat it all the time. Book looks great.
Hello
One of my favorite simple egg recipes is deviled eggs- the recipe from my mom is a simple one plus the display, in a 1950s era dish, keeps the memory of my mom strong!
Thanks!
Johalley on Rav
Eggs are wonderful scrambled, poached, fried and deviled Frittatas are a regular in our home. Baked goods from bread to cookies to pound cake all make wonderful use of eggs. So wish our suburban neighborhood did not prohibit raising chickens as we would have a few in our yard. Thanks for your post on this! Looking forward to trying some of the ideas posted by others.
NancyP
I love scrambled eggs with cheese and turkey bacon, usually in a toasted bun. It's a favorite weekend treat!
Liked to see the oriole nest. What a treasure of recyclying that is and would be so soft with the wool lining for the baby birds. I too raise chickens so have used up lots of eggs. Sometimes I get so many ahead that I mix up a bunch then freeze for winter use so not to have to buy any eggs in winter when the hens slow down. But probably my favorite use of eggs is Sunshine cake which is like Angel food cake with some extra egg yolks. Now I hav another favorite, popovers with homemade strawberry or blackberry jam! Enjoy the springtime, Kristin.
peggyspins on RAV
Liked to see the oriole nest. What a treasure of recyclying that is and would be so soft with the wool lining for the baby birds. I too raise chickens so have used up lots of eggs. Sometimes I get so many ahead that I mix up a bunch then freeze for winter use so not to have to buy any eggs in winter when the hens slow down. But probably my favorite use of eggs is Sunshine cake which is like Angel food cake with some extra egg yolks. Now I hav another favorite, popovers with homemade strawberry or blackberry jam! Enjoy the springtime, Kristin.
peggyspins on RAV
Okay, it's boring but scrambled eggs are really my favorite. I do love quiche tho - I make a good swiss cheese/green onion/mushroom quiche.
I love to use my hens' eggs to make clafoutis! Any soft fruit is good, but we prefer raspberries around here. Happy spring! Megan at mmhollinger@yahoo.com
I'm wanting to try the soup recipe for sure.
We love German Pancakes at our house. All of the kids learned to make it and I've never worried about them starving when they were on their own.
My mother's best friend gave her a recipe she'd heard on the radio, so we alwats called it "Jean Lange's Radio Eggs." It's actually a lazy person's souffle-ish dish, with eggs, flour, & cheese and it is delicious for lunch or a light supper with salad & a bit of bread!
I love souffles, so light and airy.
flgirl1987 AT yahoo DOT com
I have two recipes. One is a pound cake from a childhood friend's aunt. We call it Aunt Marion's Pound Cake. She used lemon flavoring in it. The other is Bread Pudding found in Whole Foods for the Whole Family. It is super easy to substitute fruit and nuts, but the basic recipe stays the same.
For Breakfast --or for Dinner, Eggs Florentine--saute some onion, (with or with out some chopped up rasher of bacon)add spinach, and form the spinach (as soon as it is wilted) into nests.. drop and egg in each one, cover and reduce heat. cook till egg are done as you like. Grated cheese is a great topper (but blocks some of spinach nutrients) and plenty of black pepper, too. serve on toast points or english muffins..Yummy
I guess our favorite would have to be French toast. Or deviled eggs! My kids have always loved deviled eggs!
This would be great for us as we have chickens too!
Lesa
laspin@charter.net
Still love your blog and all your neat photos. I know you have a hard working life because the farm life is hard but also so interesting and exciting. I can only imagine how exciting the birthing of the lambs can be. I guess of all the things I make with eggs, I will have to say that my angel food cake is the favorite. We have been married 50 yrs. and I have made all close relatives the angel food cake for every birthday. Now my grandchildren love the "white cake". I use a fluffy white frosting also made with eggs. The cookbook sounds great. Thanks! Ruby Bundy
Matzo brei! I just made it for my family during Passover. You break the matzo up and soak the matzo in warm water, then coat it with scrambled egg mixture--eggs, milk, salt and pepper--and cook it either as scrambled eggs or as an omelette. Some people put sugar or maple syrup on it; others, salt or tabasco.
My email address is schwartzwq@aol.com. Love the eggs! During Passover we went through about 40.
The soup looks delicious!
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