I have found so many great local foods, but I wanted to share about the local eggs I found for our family. And, as always, time plays a large part of the decisions I make for hunting and purchasing local foods.
There was more to learn about chicken eggs than I ever imagined. I personally now think the best eggs to get are free range (really free range, not a little grassy yard attached to a large holding building), and local. On the Vine, has Hannah and Sammy’s Magical Eggs from Stuart Farm in Stratham. They are very easy to get and my kids love the different colors and shapes.
I also discovered a neighbor that has free range chickens in her backyard and with a production of a dozen eggs a day, likes to give away the extras. This is another great benefit of eating local foods. You get to know a community and share your lives with many people close by.
But my favorite eggs, are from Riverview Farm in Madbury, picked up at the Exeter farmer’s market. The chickens are fed the best quality of corn with extra vitamin A. The egg yolks are a very dark golden color and they taste so rich. I was told they are possibly fertilized eggs which, they swear do not contain baby chickens inside, but makes them taste better. I think they were the reason our homemade waffles tasted so good for our Father’s Day brunch.
And by the way, there is an egg missing from the dozen in the picture because it was eaten.
I have a carton of Hannah and Sammy’s eggs in my fridge right now, too! Hurrah for On the Vine selling local eggs. I’ve been told by Jean of Meadow’s Mirth farm that Hannah and Sammy are (about) 11 and 9 year old girls, and they are running their egg business on their own, with transportation provided by grandma.
I hope that Hannah and Sammy see this and know what a great job they are doing. I love their chicken drawings! And my 3 year old likes to pick out which colored eggs we will eat. It makes shopping and eating fun.
I’m excited to hear about On the Vine carrying those eggs. We have a regular supply of 2 dozen a week and sometimes we need extras but don’t have a good place to get them. What great news!
And we also get eggs from Kellie Brook Farm’s stand in Greenland on Rte. 33.
Yes, I haven’t been able to figure out how to make it to Kellie Brook Farm yet, schedule wise. I’m going to try and meet them at the Kingston Farmer’s market. And I have to ask, what do you do with more than 2 dozen eggs a week? 🙂
Kate and I each eat 2 eggs for breakfast everyday so we go through them pretty quick. And we make a mean onion tart.
Pray tell us the recipe for that onion tart???
Here you go:
Onion Tart
– Tasteful Treasures, Friends of Fremont Library Cookbook
9” pie crust, unbaked
3 large onions, thinly sliced
3 large eggs, beaten
1/8 tsp pepper
1 1/2 cup light cream
3 Tbsp butter
3/4 tsp salt
Fry the thinly sliced onions gently in butter. Do not brown.
Arrange the onions in the pastry case. Mix the eggs, salt
and pepper with 1/4 cup of the cream. Heat the remaining
1 1/4 cups cream, add to the egg mixture and pour
over the onions. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes,
or until a knife comes out clean.
Thanks, Jeff! Can’t wait to try it…
While we’re on recipes, I can recommend a grilled goat cheese and tomato sandwich as an excellent lunch! Whatever bread your rules allow, spread with goat cheese, layered with sliced tomatoes and herbs. Heat in a nonstick pan on each side until crisp and cheese is gooey. Delicious, and travels well too – I’ve been reheating them in the toaster oven at work.
Oh my gosh! YUM!!! My favorite grilled cheese is Cabot cheddar with a local slice of onion. But I have a feeling your grilled cheese will put that to shame.