Incredible Edibles

by Liz

No matter where in the country you live, local eggs are in abundance in May.  As a natural part of their cycle of fertility, chickens raised in small flocks without supplemental light will lay more eggs in the spring than in the dark of winter, making eggs a truly seasonal food.

Eggs are a relatively inexpensive item -- around here, local, organic ones go for about $3 a dozen, duck eggs slightly more.  I've heard of people in other states that will gladly pay $6 a dozen for high quality local eggs, the argument being that even at 50¢ per egg, it still makes for an economical meal.  I truly believe that the egg is one of nature's perfect foods, which is why my springtime meal planning revolves heavily around eggs in its various forms, one of which is the frittata.

What I love about making a frittata is that you can easily use half a dozen eggs (perfect when our ducks are laying in excess), whatever fresh veggies you have on hand, and some kind of starch -- I prefer potatoes because I grow them, but you can easily substitute pasta.  Rice or barley could be interesting, although I've never tried it. 

Recipes abound.  I tend not to use one anymore, instead relying on whatever is fresh at the moment.  This week, I cooked about a pound of potatoes from my root cellar in a large skillet, added some leeks that I picked up at the farmers market ($1 for 3!), the first eight asparagus spears from my garden, and six of my own duck eggs.  Sprinkle some cheese on top, cook until set and follow up with a few minutes under the broiler to brown the cheese.  Even if you don't grow your own food, frittatas make for a quick, thrifty meal and beats takeout any day.  And for us, a big frittata like this makes enough for a second dinner.  Nothing is faster than reheating leftovers.

There is a definite lack of fresh produce in my life right now, but that's what you get when you are trying to eat locally in New England in Spring.  By going down this path, I return to the notion of eating with the seasons, which for me means going through the pantry or freezer, grabbing hold of whatever fresh vegetables I can find, and eating lots and lots of eggs.  Hmmm... what's next?  Sponge cake?  Breakfast burritos?  Soufflé?  Egg pasta?  The possibilities are nearly endless.

Liz makes her home on Pocket Farm in Maine, a modern homestead where self-sufficiency, resourcefulness and simple living reign.

Comments

[Laurie]

I was thinking about making a quiche to take to my mother's this weekend - maybe I'll do a frittata instead. It will be a lot easier than making the pie crust, although making a pie crust is not a difficult or bad task with a food processor!

[Marc]

I like your improvisatory approach to frittata. Even though I live in produce-crazy California, I've been using a lot of eggs during my Eat Local Challenge. Some great results (frittata, souffle, crepes), some not so great (failed Japanese-inspired vegetable pancakes).

Sabayon is a nice dessert that is based on eggs (I enjoy eating the result of this epicurious recipe). Or perhaps a fruit trifle, or fruit custard. I wonder if custard could work with strawberries as the main flavor, or does the fruit acid cause trouble?

[Kimberly]

Last Friday, I had the good fortune of receiving a half dozen very fresh eggs from a coworker who keeps chickens, and made my first frittata with local asparagus, leeks and green garlic. I'm now hooked on truly fresh, local eggs, and will be one of those people paying a (relative) premium for them at my farmers market.

[Liz]

Right... custard. I would probably layer strawberries in because of that acid issue. I also like a good tapioca pudding, and make a mean chocolate mousse that is just eggs and chocolate (not local, I know, but there is no challenge on earth that could get me to give up chocolate!).

[Jamie]

In recent years I've switched gears from shortening-and-sugar-heavy American-style desserts to the very eggy French type: clafoutis, crepes, gateaux, etc. One of the nicest is the floating island--a pool of pourable custard with an "island" of meringue and a drizzle (or more) of berry sauce.

Eggs rule. And I'm not just saying that because I have high hopes for my chicks. :-)

[Birdsong]

Should I admit this? Leftover frittata eaten cold makes a perfect traveling lunch.

[divinemissk]

hi liz-
i just stumbled across this site from treehugger. i love this whole movement and try my best to buy locally. we recently renovated our kitchen and most of the products we used were manufactured locally, which is very satisfying.

i haven't had a chance to thoroughly peruse all the entries, but i wanted to see if you had heard of farm to table, a new york state ngo that raises awareness about eating local (farmtotable.org). they work in partnership with whole foods and have an excellent listing of nyc restaurants that use local produce. it is worth checking out.

and if you already have talked about it, i'll shut my little trap and move along ;)

i grew up allergic to eggs, but i love cooking them for my fiance.

[Jennie]

I live in the Boston area. Where can I find raw milk, fresh eggs and grain/flour that is local?