eggs Archives - Bloom.

Harvest Hues

September 28, 2015 by theblogbloom.com 5 Comments

I have spent a bit of time on the road the last couple weeks. Two trips to Ohio, one to Chicago and lots of bouncing around Indiana has racked up quite a few miles on my car.

Fortunately for me, these drives have actually been pretty enjoyable. There’s just something about the great colors in the Midwest this time of year.

The leaves are still a week or two away from really changing, so their greens dance along the bright blues of the clear sky. The crops have just changed to a yellow gold. And, the sunsets have been beyond amazing. Only those in the Midwest know the spectacular, yet underrated, beauty of a harvest sunset.

But, it’s not just on the road where the colors have been breathtaking. At home, plenty vibrant colors are found the garden.

Great tomatoes that hang like bright Christmas ornaments are still coming in… even though my canning motivation has majorly slowed.

Purple and white eggplants still hang from their plants like costume earrings.

The carrot’s, beet’s and sweet potatoes pinks, purples and oranges are like finding buried treasures when pulled from the ground.

Peppers are changing from green to deep reds.

Yellow spaghetti squash and creamy butternut squash dot the ground and their fire-orange blossoms still bloom.

But, my favorite?

The Swiss Chard.

I wrote about Swiss Chard this time last year with a little disappointment. I was hoping for rainbow Swiss Chard but had planted just plain, old green. Nothing was wrong with it. And, it made for great side dishes and additions to fall soups. I was just hoping for the fun element of the bright colors.

This year, I did my due diligence and made sure I had the right seeds. I have been obsessed with my symphony of almost highlighter-bright pink, yellow, red, and orange chard.

Thanks to their long growing season, we will get to enjoy their beauty- and flavor- well into the fall.

I recently read in a culinary magazine that Swiss Chard “is like the vodka of vegetables;” It pairs well with just about anything.

… I love a good cocktail analogy just as much as I love versatile garden veggies.

Swiss Chard can be used as a substitute to kale, spinach or other leafy greens. It works in a variety of dishes be it salads, slaws, soups, sides, or sandwiches.

Because of it’s convenience in my backyard, I rely on it often for lunch.

Also conveniently located in my backyard these days are fresh, colorful eggs from the now laying spring hens.

Together they make a nutritious, easy and, thanks to the bring chard and bold egg yolks, colorful lunch.

Sauteed Chard and Runny Eggs

2015-09-28 10:00:06

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Ingredients

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 pound of fresh chard
2 cups mushrooms sliced (shiitake if possible)
salt and pepper
2 large eggs

Instructions

Remove ribs from the chard. Chop into 1/2 inch pieces and place in a bowl. Add the unions and mushrooms to the bowl.
Slice the chard leaves into one inch ribbons using a chiffonade technique. (See notes)
Heat olive oil in a large pan (with cover) on medium high heat. Add the ribs, onions and mushrooms. Saute for about five minutes or until the onions are tender and translucent.
Add the chard leaves to the pan and combine well so that the leaves are coated with the olive oil and the mushrooms and onions are mixed in.
Add salt and pepper.
Spread the mixture evenly throughout the pan. Crack the two eggs over the chard. Lower the head and cover. Cook for about three minutes.
When the egg whites are cooks, remove the pan from the stove top.
Use a spatula to remove the eggs and chard gently and serve right away.
Cut the runny yolks so that they serve almost like a sauce.

Notes

Chiffonade is a French cutting technique when herbs or leafy greens are cut into thin, long strips. To do this, stack the leafy greens and then roll them up (similar to a cigar) and slice in desired width.

Bloom. https://www.theblogbloom.com/

A Fair First Timer and Avian Flu Facts

August 26, 2015 by theblogbloom.com 17 Comments

Thanks to Indiana Family of Farmer’s, I attended the Indiana State Fair this August. It was my first State Fair experience ever and it was great. The day I visited it was Blogger Day, so it was a fun morning catching up with other Indiana Bloggers and getting a tour of some of the fair’s highlights.

One of the biggest surprises was just how educational the fair really is.

Prior to my visit, I had visions of Ferris wheels and funnel cakes. And while those were there, so were great exhibits designed to “lift the veil off” farming.

In this day and age when transparency is desired, particularly with the food we eat, the fair is a great place to come to find answers. I loved the message of The Glass Barn, put on by Indiana Soybean Alliance, and I really enjoyed their featured stories of Indiana farming families. Another exhibit, called Amazing Maize, shared the story corn, how it is farmed and it’s impact on the economy in Indiana.

My next surprise was that the fair is huge!

If you really wanted to see everything at the fair you would have to visit a couple times during it’s run.

Fortunately for me, Indiana Soybean Alliance’s Intern and a native of my new, little town, Lauren offered to take me around via golf cart. (… Not the best choice considering the large vanilla milkshake I ~~downed~~ enjoyed at the Dairy Bar. But, hey… It’s only your first time at the fair once!)

I told her that I was interested in seeing the 4-H projects. Lauren so kindly took me through the buildings holding the impressive, award winning projects for sewing, cake decorating, photography and more. Lauren, a 4-H vet, explained how things were judged and what each ribbon meant. She also told me that later that evening there would be the Grand Drive showcasing the champion livestock of the fair. Lauren mentioned that being a part of the Grand Drive is a huge honor to any 4-H kid who shows animals.

We swung by the livestock barns to see the prep for the evening’s event. The cattle barn was bustling with young kids in their best boots and jeans tending to their animals.

In the poultry barn came my next surprise.

… There wasn’t any poultry.

Rows and rows of cages sat empty in the large barn.

Instead, members of the Indiana Board of Animal Health were in the barn explaining that because of the threat of Avian Influenza chickens and turkeys were not present at this year’s fair.

Since the start of 2015, there have been cases of Avian Flu across California and into middle America states that has lead to the need to euthanize millions of birds.

While there has not been a concern with birds in the state of Indiana, the Board of Animal Health felt it was best to not have poultry at the fair due to fact that this strain of flu can spread quickly.

The board members were honest and said that of course many of the young competitors were sad, but they felt that this was very important and the best precaution.

Fortunately for us mammals, humans are not effected by this strain of flu because of the number of proteins in the virus, so eating eggs prepared with good cooking practices not dangerous. The birds can only spread the virus to other birds, including wild birds such as geese, making things much harder to control. This is why taking the precautions this summer at the fair was so important.

The Indiana Board of Animal Health shared that they are working with a couple other organizations in the state, such as Purdue University to keep backyard and commercial birds safe. Conservation groups have been working with wild flocks of birds all summer to check them for the virus as well. So far, nothing has been found in wild birds in Indiana.

Nor has the virus been found in any commercial or backyard birds; but, there has been one case that caused a need for investigation. The Board of Animal Health members shared a story of a small community where a chicken owner had concerns about two birds brought into their flock from a recent auction purchase. Anyone with turkeys or chickens within a radius of this flock had to be checked out and be clear of any signs of the virus.

For farmer’s who sell chicken eggs, the flu can have a significant financial impact. But, it’s not just with commercial farmer’s that the board felt that they needed to show sympathy. When working with the families who have backyard hens they found that these birds were more like pets and the potential need to euthanize, even if it’s just a chance, is incredibly difficult for these families.

I thought of my own flock of birds and how crushing this could be. In that moment, I was very appreciative of the actions of the Board of Animal Health in keeping Indiana’s birds safe.

As mentioned, this virus does not effect humans so it is not a food safety issue. So, don’t feel like you have to avoid your favorite omelette or quiche. As always, just follow good cooking practices with eggs:

– When purchasing, make sure eggs are clean and not cracked.
– Cook food containing eggs thoroughly. Dishes like egg casseroles should cook to at least 160 degrees.
– Keep hands and utensils clean when cooking with raw eggs and after they come in contact with raw eggs.
– Keep hot egg dishes hot, cold egg dishes cold. Dishes containing eggs should not sit outside of a refrigerator for more than two hours.

One other note to be aware of is that because of the loss of birds, the price of eggs has increased significantly. The chefs I work with are feeling it everyday as they try to make the most of their budgets.

Now is not a bad time to potentially price shop a bit with local growers and grocery stores to find the best solution for your family.

… Our 25 spring hens should be laying any day now.

This girl could hook you up. Just saying…!

Natural Easter Egg Dyes

April 13, 2014 by theblogbloom.com 9 Comments

If I didn’t already know Easter was one week away, I would be able to tell by Pinterest.

Lately, my Pinterest feed has been an Easter Explosion.

It’s full little deviled eggs made to look like baby chicks that you might need an art degree and tons of patience to create, Cadbury Egg stuffed cupcakes (… because why wouldn’t you stuff an indulgent dessert with another indulgent dessert?), and more ideas for how to decorate Easter eggs than you can begin to think of.

I have seen glitter covered eggs.

Eggs to look like the Despicable Me minions.

Or, Ninja Turtles.

Or, Super Mario Brother’s characters.

I have even seen, what the pinner called, “Hipster” eggs… complete with mustaches and the saying “Keep Calm and Easter On.”

As silly as these Easter eggs pins seem, there was one that really caught my eye. It was a beautiful shot of pastel eggs that looked like the epitome of spring. The caption said that they were dyed naturally.

I was intrigued.

When working at the school there were a handful of students allergic to food dyes, which I first thought was odd. Then, after a little research, I learned that food dye allergies are relatively prevalent and can cause many issues from eczema to breathing problems. In this research, I also learned that some grocers are making naturally dyed baked goods in order to reach those who suffer from the allergy. I read about an example of how Whole Foods made a little girl’s birthday cupcakes pink by using beets.

Thanks to how pink my hands get when I cook beets, I knew it must work well.

So, I decided to give naturally dyed eggs a go in hopes of the pretty pastel eggs on Pinterest.

But, I didn’t get pastel.

I got these amazing jewel tone eggs.

Here is what I did for each color:

Red/Pink- One medium beet cut in pieces added to four cups boiling water, two tablespoons white vinegar, strain (Note: I was kind of disappointed in the shade of pink I got… I was expecting more. Next time, I would use two beets.)
Orange- Two Tablespoons paprika added to one cup boiling water, one Tablespoon white vinegar
Yellow- Two Tablespoons turmeric added to one cup boiling water, one Tablespoon white vinegar (This dye was the best. So vibrant and strong. Even my hands had a yellow tint 24 hours and two showers later.)
Blue- One quarter red cabbage cut in pieces added to four cups boiling water, two Tablespoons white vinegar, strain
Grey Blue- 1 cup frozen blueberries defrosted in one cup water, One Tablespoon white vinegar
Purple- 1 cup red wine

Hard boil eggs and let cool completely.

Let all dyes come to room temperature before dying.

(I used mainly white eggs. I tried with a couple brown ones, but they don’t get as vibrant.)

In some of the dyes, brown eggs just got more brown…

Paler shades sat in dye for about ninety minutes. Darker shades were submerged in dye over night.

Mason jars worked great for holding the dye and eggs.

After removing the eggs from the dye, I put them on a wire rack to dry.

Place a paper towel under the rack to keep messes to a minimum.

Keep the finished eggs refrigerated and eat within a week. I think egg salad might be for dinner one night this week… 🙂