From the Kitchen

It is said that the kitchen is the heart of the home. This is certainly true here at the Homestead. Our kitchen is the gathering place of choice for most of our guests. It is a place where we gather to enjoy good food and great conversation. Around the kitchen table, not only do we eat, but important decisions are made, life's joys celebrated and problems solved. My mission is to provide food that will not only nourish the body but feed the soul as well. Our food is clean, wholesome, and delicious.

Scotch Eggs

March 22, 2016 Leave a Comment

Since the early 1980’s, Gastropubs throughout the British Isles have been serving up amazing food. Scotch Eggs are just one of the items that you may find on the menu. Boiled eggs encased in sausage, typically coated with bread crumbs and fried. Served with mustard, they are a delight!

But these little gems are my dressed up version. I first tasted these in the early 80’s, at the home of a dear friend. I was instantly hooked! A little tweaking and refining has earned these little beauties a place of honor here. Boiled eggs surrounded by sausage, coated in crushed cornflakes and baked in the oven. . . topped with a celery sauce (that really – I could eat by the spoonful!). . . . what are you waiting for?!

These can be made ahead – as early as the night before you plan to serve them, and then baked – making meal prep for your Holiday breakfast or brunch all the easier. Although eggs and spring go together like bread and butter, these are wonderful any time of the year.

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Cheesecake in Eggshells ! Bless you Molly Yeh!

March 17, 2016 Leave a Comment

So, of course you remember that I suggested you save the egg shells from the soft-boiled eggs you made a few days ago? You have all made them – right?!

Well, you will want to now when you see what Molly Yeh has done with them. .. . She has done a no-bake cheesecake egg with a marmalade yolk – and so cleverly put them into egg shells!

Genius!

Can you say Easter dessert? We are so doing these this year! The link to her website is below – Just click on her name. Now hop to it, make those soft-boiled eggs so we can get to the good stuff – CHEESECAKE!

Enjoy,

Kathy

Here’s the link. . .

Source: Molly-yeh

Soft Boiled Eggs – Done Perfectly!

March 15, 2016 Leave a Comment

Several years ago our family was fortunate enough to spend the summer in Europe – with most of our time being in Germany.

Soft-boiled eggs were an every day part of our breakfasts. They were perfectly cooked – and kept at a perfect temperature – and I became hopelessly addicted to them!

As our time in Germany came to a close, we (I) purchased egg plates, egg dishes, egg spoons, . . . . and many more treasures – to bring home with us – in an attempt to replicate our wonderful experience. But, try as I might, I had trouble reproducing those perfectly cooked soft eggs! It seemed as though they were either over-cooked – and practically hard boiled, or under-done and nearly raw.

Searches of all of the best cookbooks, the internet, and every resource I could think of yielded as many different techniques as there were sources and produced nothing but a long series of trials and failures. And so, I gave up. I put away the little egg plates and egg spoons and for a very long time, there were no soft-boiled eggs at the Homestead (insert frowning face here). And then, one day, as I was doing research on a totally unrelated cooking process, it came to me. I knew what I was doing wrong. (The white and the yolk are made up of different blends of proteins, and so the white sets at a higher temperature than the yolk. . . . The methods that had been suggested – and touted for years, did not take that into consideration – I know, exciting stuff huh! It’s how I roll. . . )

Out came the little egg plates and spoons, the salt bowl and egg topper. We were back in business! The soft-boiled eggs have returned (insert happy face here!). Now, they are cooked to perfection. And served with a freshly baked English muffin, or a piece of buttered toast, the joy in the morning is back!

Having a very large flock of chickens means that we have a never-ending supply of these luscious little nuggets. They are packed with protein and in spite of all the bad press targeting them for so many years, eggs – all of them – the whites and the yolks – have been proven to be very good for you!

You don’t need to have egg plates or egg cups or egg spoons or an egg topper to enjoy these gems. A small bowl or ramekin filled with salt, rice, grain, seeds – works well as a holder for your eggs. The back side of a table knife – tapped around the top of the egg will crack the egg open just fine. Demitasse spoons, teaspoons – or even toast soldiers (thin pieces of a firm bread – toasted and buttered) will retrieve the yummy goodness waiting to delight your palate. Be creative – be thrifty – get organized – and get going! Get out your tools and lets get to it – soft-boiled eggs are calling.

Enjoy,

Kathy

P.S. You are going to want to make these – and save the shells! Wash them out carefully and let them dry – You will want them to use when you see what’s coming later in the week!

How to Cook the Perfect Soft-Boiled Egg

A great soft-boiled egg should have a firm yet soft - almost custard-like white and a warm, mildly runny yolk. A yolk that is nearly set is also acceptable. It is, after all, a matter of personal preference. My favorite, method for making soft-boiled eggs is a technique that works best in small batches of one to four eggs at a time. I call it my Fail-Safe French method. Using this method, you can use eggs right out of the refrigerator. No need to bring them to room temperature before cooking. I also have a great method for making them in larger batches. Simply follow my directions for the perfect hard-boiled egg - only let the eggs set for 6 minutes instead of 12. This method is not as consistent. . . You may have to test it a few time to find the timing for your eggs to be set the way you like them. The benefit of this method is that you can do large numbers at a time – as long as the eggs are in a single layer. We will start with my favorite, the small batch method.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Cook Time 5

Total Time 5

Ingredients

1 to 4 eggs no more than 4 at a time

Instructions

Fill a sauce pan with several inches of water (enough to cover the eggs).
Set the pan over high heat and allow the water to come to a rolling boil.
Lower the heat and let the water reduce to a rapid simmer.
Gently lower the eggs into the water, one at a time.
Cook the eggs for 5 to 7 minutes; 5 minutes for a moderately runny yolk, up to 7 minutes for one that is more set.
Remove the eggs from the water (using a slotted spoon if you plan to cook more than one batch).
Run under cold tap water for 30 to 60 seconds.
Set the egg, upright, in an egg cup or a small bowl or ramekin filled with rice, salt, or dried beans, grains, small gravel (cleaned – of course), whole dried corn . . . use your imagination. If you avoid egg spills, you can use your base over and over again.
Remove the top by tapping gently with a knife around the top of the egg, or if you are lucky enough to have one, use an egg-cutter.
Eat the eggs while they are warm, scooping out with a small egg spoon, or buttered crusty toast spears.
If you are doing more than one batch of eggs, return the water to a rolling boil and repeat from step 3, adding water if needed.

Notes

Several years ago, we spent the summer in Europe. Soft boiled eggs were on the menu every morning. I became addicted to them – and was intrigued as to how they were able to make so many in advance – and keep them warm without over-cooking . Before leaving Germany, we stocked up on egg plates, egg cups, egg spoons – everything we could – so that we could recreate our wonderful breakfast experience when we returned home. . . but no one would tell me the secret of how they kept their eggs just right…..

Well – here’s the secret.

You can make soft boiled eggs in advance, cooking for no longer than 5 minutes. Cool them completely in cold water, and refrigerate, covered until you need them (up to 3 days). Bring them to serving temperature by reheating them in 140 degree water for 30 minutes. – (So, that’s how they did it!) And now you know 

Dyeing Naturally – Eggs that is!

March 10, 2016 Leave a Comment

What would Easter be without beautifully colored eggs? Hard-boiled eggs dyed to perfection – each a thing of beauty. But, have you ever considered what your eggs are being dyed with?

We try very hard to avoid food dye in our home. For years, I have wanted to try using natural substances to color our eggs. . . . The problem is, our eggs come already colored! Although our eggs can be dyed, it is best to use white eggs when using natural dyes.

The internet is filled with links to sites with instructions on how to tackle this project – and although it takes a little more preparation, the results are stunning – not to mention non-toxic. I have sifted through countless numbers of sites and included links for several of my favorites. The process is quite simple. The results will be limited only by your imagination. A few simple supplies – rubberbands, wax crayons, electrical tape, and a few fruits, vegetables, herbs, and vinegar – and you are ready to roll.

If these gorgeous eggs – from Martha Stewart – don’t convince you that you need to give this a try, I don’t know what will.

Here are several links. Happy Coloring!

Martha Stewart

Green Child Magazine

Better Homes and Gardens (a tutorial on adorable gingham eggs!)

thekitchn

Get those eggs boiled and dye naturally this year!

Kathy

Fresh Eggs are the Best Eggs!

March 9, 2016 Leave a Comment

There are two types of people in the world: those who keep their eggs in the fridge and those who think room temperature is best. Those that believe that eggs should be stored at room temperature will tell you that chilling eggs is similar to chilling fresh tomatoes. It changes their flavor – and not for the better.

What follows is info that may help you keep your little cackleberries fresher longer.

Farm fresh eggs will remain fresh for at least a week at room temperature if unwashed. They can be stored safely at temperatures between 55-70 degrees for several weeks. Commercially raised eggs stored in the refrigerator should last several weeks. Farm fresh eggs, refrigerated, should be good for a great deal longer.

Mother Earth News ran a test using 60 dozen eggs – 30 dozen purchased from the supermarket and 30 dozen farm-fresh, fertile, unwashed eggs. They used multiple methods of storage to find the best method of storage for longevity. Each month they tested several eggs to see how they were handling solitary confinement. At seven months, they tested the eggs that had been stored in air-tight containers in the refrigerator at temperatures between 38 and 40 degrees. The unwashed fertile eggs were still very fresh. The whites were a little runny, but overall the quality was good. The store-bought eggs were still edible, but suffered in quality. The secret, fresh, unwashed eggs, air-tight containers and consistent temperatures.

How to tell if eggs are fresh

So, those eggs that have been in your fridge for a very long time. . . .are they still good or should you toss them. Here is how to check for freshness:

A fresh egg will sink in water while an older egg will float. A very fresh egg will not only sink, but it will lay on it’s side. As an egg ages, the size of the air cell inside of the egg increases. In time it will enlarge to the point of causing the egg to float. Cracks in the shell will also cause an excess of air in the eggshell. To check for freshness – place eggs, one at a time, into a container of water and watch how they respond. Rule of thumb: If it floats, toss it out.

In a fresh egg, the yolk should sit up high, and the white should be thick and closely surround the yolk. Older eggs have flat yolks that break very easily – and thin, watery whites. See the difference in the two eggs in the picture below.

A cloudy egg white is a sign of freshness (the egg on the right). The cloudiness is the result of the high carbon dioxide content that is preset when the egg is laid.

• A fresh, Grade A egg will have a firm white, a small air cell at the wide end of the egg and a centered yolk. You will notice these differences most when you hard-boil eggs. Those eggs that you boil and find upon peeling that one end is flat or has a large cupping shape – that was an older egg.
Properly storing your eggs will add to their quality and longevity. Eggs should be stored pointed end (small end) down – so that the air sack is at the top of the egg. Sometimes it is difficult to tell which end is which, but there is always a pointed or smaller side. You can always candle your eggs to check.