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We are firm believers in the value of local food, slow food, organic food, freshly harvested. I once had a friend tell me that eggs are just miniature chickens, with all the nutrients packed in there, so you’d better be careful about what the hen was eating when she made the egg. Insightful! And it’s been our good fortune to know Beth Wooten, for so many reasons, not the least of which is her wonderful eggs.

Beth’s eggs are not just local/organic/fresh, they are gorgeous. Check it out – blues, greens, cream, and deep brown. She tells me it’s because of the types of chickens she has, but I never retain that information. I can just tell you that the yolks are the deepest creamy orange you’ll ever see, they rise like nobody’s business, and they taste the way an egg should.

These chickens are livin’ the life, I can tell you.  They have a run that surrounds Beth’s garden, so when she’s picking vegetables, any stems and leaves and such go right into the top of the run, where the chickens can feast on a lovely salad for lunch.  The run goes all the way down to a cool mountain spring.   Every so often, Beth gets an email from me, “Dost thou have eggs?”  And she finds out how many I want, and we set up a plan for transfer – usually I just break into her car and steal them out of her cooler.  😉  Well, ok, she tells me where I’ll find the cooler, ok?  But it’s pretty fun to think of it as getting my egg fix from a dealer in a parking lot…  Ghetto eggs…  And they are addictive, after all, because once you’ve had farm-fresh organic eggs, you won’t want to settle for anything less.

Once, I asked for pictures of the chickens.  You can imagine my delight when Beth sent me the chickens eating a watermelon!!  Her caption was, “Everyone loves watermelon on a hot day.”  I guess those girls enjoyed it.  So, they eat well, they make really pretty eggs, and you can be assured that all the nutrients you wish were in your omelet are right there.  Recipe follows.

For individual baked omelets, try the following.  Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  For a single omelet, use one au gratin dish, spray it with Baker’s Joy (oil & flour nonstick baking spray), arrange add-ins in the dish.  Beat 3 eggs with a splash of milk, pour over the add-ins, sprinkle with herbs, and bake for 30 minutes.  Ok, “What’s an add-in?” you ask.  Well, that’s where the fun comes in!

I always include some kind of cheese:
cheddar
swiss
pepperjack
chevre (a *must* if you’re using roasted red peppers, swoon!)
gruyere

Paired with at least one veggie:
fresh asparagus tips -I fan them out in the dish, but you can chop them if you prefer
spinach chiffonade (which just means thinly sliced into shreds, folks)
onions, sauteed first
bell pepper, sauteed first
roasted red peppers
sliced new potatoes, cooked (slice, wash, cover and steam in the microwave approx 3 minutes!)
mushrooms, sauteed first, in butter and a pinch of the herb you’re using later
diced green chilis (fresh roasted, or canned)
fresh tomatoes, seeded and diced (seeding is necessary or you’ll have too much liquid)

And meat, if you like:
diced ham
cooked, crumbled bacon or sausage
shredded roast chicken breast (this is surprisingly wonderful)
crab meat

Sprinkle with herbs – and I like to use only one, so that it’s showcased:
tarragon
rosemary
dill
basil (see note about parmesan, below)
coarsely ground black pepper

Now, if you use more than one veggie, you may need to cut back to two eggs.  If your eggs are fresh like mine, you’ll see your omelet rise two inches above the rim of the dish!  It will fall within a minute or two, but it’s fun to watch.  If you don’t have fresh eggs, you may want to top your omelet with a sprinkle of cheese before baking.

A special note about parmesan cheese: this is a strong flavor, and something that you’ll want to use on top of the omelet, about halfway through baking.   And finally, my-son-the-chef, Nick, likes to brush on just a touch of white truffle oil before serving.

Be creative.  Try something new.  Send me a picture!

–Sandee

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