Tuesday, February 24, 2009

An egg is an egg right????


Wrong! Well in my opinion anyway. I first noticed that all eggs are not created equal when I was living in Rome. I remember when I cracked that first egg that I bought and was amazed with the deep, rich amber color of the yolk and the thick shell. A far cry from the sad muted yellow yolk and thin, brittle shells of most American store-bought eggs. I also remember how much better the eggs in Italy tasted and when I was back home I was never again satisfied with store-bought eggs. Even free range and organic eggs. Well thanks to my cousin, who needed to find homes for her chickens and ducks; my parents are now proud owners of seven chickens and three ducks. My parents had always wanted chickens but we just never got around to it. This was the shove we needed. So my husband and I went over to my parent's small farm and we quickly constructed a critter proof coop and run. We are now getting a pretty consistent five-eggs-a-day (even through the winter!). The taste of these eggs don't even compare to store-bought eggs. I contribute this to a much more diverse diet from leafy greens to pumpkins and the plain fact that good eggs come from happy chickens. I look forward to picking up my fresh eggs every week and highly recommend everyone to seek out local, farm fresh eggs.

Goat Cheese Quiche with Hash-Brown Crust


I came across this quiche recipe on my many a visit to www.marthastewart.com. I was very intrigued by the hash-brown crust; so, I just had to make it. The quiche is very easy to put together and was very good. Whereas this recipe is perfectly good on its own, I think it would lend well to many other variations. One could added herbed goat cheese, pancetta, or roasted red peppers. So many possibilities!


Ingredients

Serves 6.

  • 2 tablespoons butter, softened, plus more for pan
  • 1 package (1 pound) frozen hash brown potatoes, thawed
  • 12 large eggs
  • Coarse salt and ground pepper
  • 1 1/2 cups reduced-fat sour cream (I used regular sour cream)
  • 1 package (4 to 5 ounces) soft goat cheese, room temperature
  • 4 scallions, thinly sliced (I only used 2)

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Brush a 9-by-2 1/2-inch springform pan with butter. Line the sides of the pan with strips of waxed paper (the same height as pan); brush paper with butter.
  2. Squeeze excess moisture from hash browns. Mix in a bowl with butter, 1 egg, 1 teaspoon coarse salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Pat into bottom and up sides of prepared pan, using a moistened dry measuring cup. Place on a rimmed baking sheet; bake until set, 15 to 20 minutes.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk sour cream, goat cheese, 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper until well combined; whisk in 11 remaining eggs. Pour into crust, and sprinkle with scallions. Bake until set, 45 to 50 minutes. Unmold quiche, and peel off waxed paper before serving.
Copyright 2008 Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc. All rights reserved.

Monday, February 23, 2009

In Fine Fettle

In Fine Fettle - "A state or condition of fitness or order; state of mind; spirits."

I have decided to start a blog! I will devote this blog to my passion for good food, health and fitness.
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