Think Globally. Eat Locally

I don’t even shop locally as often as I should.  It’s hard.  It isn’t always the most convenient.  We live in a world where we can go to one big building and leave with everything we need in life.  I do it.  We all do.  Nobody is perfect.  But if we can make an effort to try to support our local farmers and business as often as we can, we’d be doing a world of difference.

When you shop locally, supporting your farmers, not only will your food simply taste better and be more fresh and healthy, but you’re also boosting your local economy… and you just get this beautiful sense of community when you do so.  I try to go to my local Farmers Market every Saturday now, when the weather allows it, and it’s become one of my favorite things.

Yesterday the weather was perfect… I had just finished a workout… one of my friends was playing his guitar and singing while crowds of happy locals shopped and walked around… kids were playing on the playground… it was simply perfect.

I bought some broccoli rabe, strawberries and baby red kale from Barbee Farms…  They’re the place where I got these magnificent, funky carrots the week before… a.k.a. carrot candy…

I next stopped at Gilcrest Natural Farm a couple stalls down and grabbed a dozen eggs… Then to Fading D Farm for some water buffalo cheese (last time I got some of their ricotta and still haven’t shared with you what I did with it!)…

Then to Cold Water Creek Farms for some white carrots and whole wheat flour before heading back home.

I had a cake to make and a bean salad to tend to (cake recipe coming soon… so good!!) and I was also starving.   So as my chocolate and butter melted on the stovetop, and still-warm beans soaked up the apple cider vinegar, I started thinking about what I wanted for lunch with all my Farmers Market goodies.

Salad with the kale.

…dressed with lemon-dijon-extra virgin olive oil.

Leftover refrigerator finds- roasted beets, caramelized onions.

Those strawberries.

That cheese.

Goopy eggs on top.

done.

So I’m not sharing with you a salad recipe today, I’m sharing with you how you get your eggs to look like mine.

Holy moly.

It’s taken me a lot of trial and error over the years to get the soft boiled egg right.  When I hard boil my eggs for Easter decorating and egg salad, I swear by the ‘eggs in cold water – bring to a boil – cover – turn off heat – let sit 10 minutes’ method.  But I could never get that same concept to work with a softer boil.

I’ve got it now.

Do not ever top your salads with a hard boiled egg again.  This!  This is what you want always and forever out of a boiled egg.

Trust me.

And as soon as I hit publish here, I’m going to do it again.

THE PERFECT SOFT BOILED EGG

Bring a medium or large pot filled 3/4 of the way with cold water to a rolling boil.  Pot size depends on amount of eggs you’re boiling. I only boiled 2 here, as I was testing a technique, so I used my 2 quart pot.  Boil up to a dozen at a time in a large stockpot.

Once water is at a rolling boil, use a slotted spoon to gently lower your room temperature eggs to the bottom.  Continue the boil.

Go set timer for six minutes. (technically you’re boiling your eggs for 6:30 minutes, but factor in the ‘going to the phone and setting a timer’ time, you’re good to set it for a solid 6.)

Fill bowl with ice water and place by pot.

Remove eggs with slotted spoon and immediately slide into ice water bowl.

Cool in ice water for 2 minutes.

Peel eggs (under cool running water for easiest job).

Slice.

Salt.

Serve.

…

(Dish towel – Everyday Basic Kitchen Dish Towel in gray by DII at Amazon.)

Thanks for reading, y’all.  Enjoy your Sunday!!