What's an Egg Farmer To Do?

At this time of year, I let my chickens out to graze on the lawn and fields every day. They enjoy the freedom and we are rewarded with bright orange yolked eggs. The other day I couldn't help but see the similarity in two of my new colors of Julia Yarn Colors that Nashua Handknits is bringing out this coming fall. The little balls of yarn I wound looked so similar to the eggs' yolks I have been cooking every morning that I just couldn't help myself from taking this photo.


At this time of year, I'm always looking for ways to cook eggs to get rid of the glut of my hens' production. With stone fruit season fast approaching (cherries, apricots, peaches and plums), I began thinking about the classic french peasant dessert "clafouti." I was first introduced to it in Julia Child's "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" a long time ago. I love this easy dessert - impressive, not at all labor intensive, light and perfect for springtime.

Somewhere long ago, I once saw a recipe for a tomato clafouti. My search was on - where the heck did I see that? After looking through all my cookbooks, I finally gave up. I decided to take Julia's basic recipe for sweet clafouti and then adapt it to a bunch of cherry tomatoes I had hanging around to make a savory clafouti. It turned out to be perfect for a weekend brunch picnic. It looks so pretty, I can foresee making it for lunch with friends late this summer when my homegrown cherry tomatoes are in abundant supply. Enjoy!


Kristin's Tomato Clafouti

1 1/4 cups milk
3 extra large eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup flour
3 cups cherry tomatoes - many colors are nice
4 oz. grated Gruyere or Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix together the milk, eggs, salt and flour in a blender or with a hand mixer. By hand, mix in half the cheese. Butter a porcelain quiche pan and pour enough of the batter into the bottom of the pan to cover. Bake for about 5 minutes to set the batter. Remove from oven and place cherry tomatoes neatly around the pan. Pour the batter over the tomatoes. Sprinkle the remainder of the cheese on top. Bake for 45 minutes. A knife should come out clean when inserted into the clafouti.

Serve warm with a green salad. The clafouti is just as good the next day.

Derby Deviled Eggs

Spring comes late and unpredictably in our part of the world. One sign of spring for sure is the annual Running of the Roses in Kentucky. No matter how cold, wet and rainy it is here in western Massachusetts, The Kentucky Derby happens every year, never fail, on the first Saturday in May. Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve been going to Derby parties, first with my parents and sisters, and then throwing a party or two of my own. I love the tradition of the Derby – the hats, the flowers, the magnificent old grandstands at Churchill Downs, the beautiful silks on the horses and the jockeys and the singing of My Old Kentucky Home.

When we moved here, I needed to find someone else who might be keen to celebrate this rite of spring. Lucky for us, my friend Kay who also grew up in NJ had grown up in a home where her mother threw a fabulous Derby party. We’ve been celebrating the Derby with Kay and her husband Mike for many years now. We do low-tech, low-stakes wagering and winner takes all.

Mostly it is about the food and the mint juleps that afternoon. Kay is an amazing chef and we always look forward to what she prepares. Every year she asks me bring my deviled eggs. I’m not the most fabulous cook but I try. Evidently I make a mean deviled egg because they are instantly gobbled up. There’s something so sinful about these little boats of flavor.

Kay has been clamoring for my special recipe for Derby Deviled Eggs. This past weekend, I was having a dinner party in honor of The Farmer’s birthday. I made up another batch of Derby Deviled Eggs to test out all my proportions. (That’s one reason I don’t post recipes here on my blog – too much trouble with testing and re-testing recipes). Here it is for Kay and for you:


Perfect Boiled Eggs

Here’s how to make perfect hard boiled eggs every time. I learned this trick from my Aunt Marilyn. Put a dozen extra large eggs in a large pot. Fill it with cold water. Put it on the stove and bring it to a boil for a minute. Turn it off and let the eggs cool in the water. When the water is completely cool, peel the eggs. You’ll have perfectly cooked eggs, without that nasty green edge that sometimes happens when you overcook hard boiled eggs.

Derby Deviled Eggs

1 dozen extra large eggs
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
3 Tablespoons sweet relish
3 Tablespoons mayonaise
3 Tablespoon capers packed in vinegar and drained
Several dashes of Tabasco sauce, depending on how devilish you want your eggs
Good handful of fresh chives
Paprika

Egg Note: Fresh eggs from my chickens always cause peeling problems. They're just too fresh to peel. Chicken farmer that I am, I always purchase my eggs for deviling at the store because they peel easily.

To Devil the Eggs:
1. Peel the eggs. Cut in half and put all the yolks in a medium sized bowl.
2. Mash the yolks but not too much – I like them a little chunky but, of course, this is a matter of personal preference.
3. To the mashed yolks, add mustard, sweet relish, mayonnaise and capers. Mix through.
4. Using a spoon, fill all the egg boats with a generous scoop of filling. I usually will have a few white boats left over which the dogs gladly accept as a snack.

Snip the chives into ¼” pieces leaving 24 of the tips about 3” long. Place the eggs on your serving platter. Spear each egg with a chive tip. Sprinkle the rest of the chives all over your eggs and plate as decoration. Watch them disappear!