See shells
“A box without hinges, key, or lid,
Yet golden treasure inside is hid.”
—from J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit
There is no simpler example of the miracle of life than the egg. It is to an animal what a seed is to a plant; it contains the genetic information, as well as the nourishment, that is necessary to catapult a new life into the world. As such, eggs are incredibly nutrient-dense and digestible, and have become an important and affordable source of protein around the world. While many bird eggs are available and eaten in our culture (duck, quail, goose, emu, and even ostrich), chicken eggs are the most ubiquitous and are a fortunate byproduct of our domestic relationship with that all-American yardbird.
 |
Eggs are good. Fresh, farm eggs are divine. The yolk speaks for the egg: A vertical, upright yolk indicates freshness, and a sunny yellow color means the bird has access not only to grass and greenery, but also bugs, worms and grubs. This varied diet also indicates the appropriate nutritional balance between omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids.
Get your fatty acids (attractively packaged) at the Charlottesville City Market, which begins April 5 at 7am. Get there early if you want fresh eggs! Most vendors sell out, especially this time of year when their laying hens are just “warming up” for the season—egg production is dependent upon the light cycle and temperature, so peak production is near the summer solstice.—Lisa Reeder
Casting call
Cast iron is back on the stove! If you don’t have a cast iron skillet, consider resurrecting an old one—they’re easy to find for around $10 in junk and thrift stores. Check A&W Collectibles on 250E (most are in the back left corner of the downstairs, along with various and sundry kitchen implements of the past). Yard sales and relatives are also excellent sources of heavy metal.
What constitutes a good catch in cast iron? Look for a solid, dark patina with no areas of rust. Pick a size that fits snugly on a back burner of your stove so you don’t have to put it away. Finally, sniff before you buy; a faint smell of bacon is a good omen, but reject the pan that smells of rodent or chemicals.
If a recycled pan is unappealing to you, you can find new pans for under $40, but they’re still just as heavy. Nota Bene: Cast iron must be thoroughly dried after each use, and new cast iron takes quite a bit of care to achieve the dark patina of older pans.—L.R.
Squashed Egg Salad
Tony LaBua of Chaps shared with us his recipe for a sandwich favorite—deliciously simple, and unregulated. (Unregg-ulated?)
hard-boiled eggs
mayonnaise
chopped onions
garlic salt
pita bread, kaiser roll, or bread of your choice
 |
“First squash your eggs,” says LaBua, who recommends using “as many as you feel like squashing.” Next, “add a little mayo, enough to make it sticky.” Then, “throw in some onions, as many as you feel like eating.” Finally, add garlic salt to taste and “serve it on whatever you feel like eating.”
