After a virtually egg-free winter, now that the weather has changed we are starting to see eggs again. When we went so long without seeing any during the cold months, I just assumed that my girls were getting on in age. After all, our original flock founders are coming up on their 6th birthdays.
But no, that’s not the case. Every day we now bring in at least 6-8 eggs which is still on the slow side for a flock of 25 but is just fine for a family of 7-soon-to-be-8 when Trevor comes back home for the summer.
When Trevor’s home, he can eat 6 eggs in one sitting as a “snack” (usually this is right after he comes back from a session at the Crossfit gym.) All of my kids eat eggs as snacks and meals with personal preferences ranging from scrambled with onions, cheese, and black pepper (Emma, Addy’s, and my personal favorite) to poached on whole grain toast (Marc and Griffin’s favorite.)
And still I have to be a little creative in the egg usage department. I know what a chicken goes through to create an egg, I’m not going to waste it.
Quiche is a time honored, easy and inexpensive egg recipe, especially in the summer when you can literally throw anything into it. Trust me, in this house – real men (and sons and daughters and moms) eat quiche. Often.
Basic Quiche recipe
(This is good for 2 pies)
Preheat oven to 425.
Using a premade pie crust (go ahead and make it yourself if you have the time) oil two pie dishes and then spread the crusts out on the bottom of the dishes
Chop up about 6 cups of filling and then sauté them in a fry pan, examples are:
- Peppers
- Onions
- Broccoli
- Greens – spinach, kale
- Meats – ham, sausage, leftover meatloaf
- Mushrooms
- Tomatoes
- Olives
You get the picture. Feel free to raid the refrigerator for what may be a leftover from last night’s dinner or a produce that is starting to wilt. You want to include a lot of filling so make it interesting. Here’s also where you would add any spices, salt or pepper to taste.
Once the fillings have been sautéed and softened remove from heat and add a handful or two of cheese – cheddar, Swiss, Colby, feta – this is a time when using a good, flavorful cheese pays off, and divide the filling between the two pie plates.
In another bowl whip up 10 eggs (yup 10) with 3 cups of milk (I use whole milk – personal preference.) Use a whisk for this because it needs to be mixed well.
Pour the egg mixture on top pf the fillings, dividing it equally between the two pies.
Cook for about 40 minutes.
Let cool just a bit before cutting and serve with a salad.
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Wendy Thomas writes about the lessons learned while raising children and chickens in New Hampshire. Contact her at [email protected]
Also, join me on Facebook to find out more about the flock (children and chickens) and see some pretty funny chicken jokes, photos of tiny houses, and even a recipe or two.
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