The Freshest Eggs

As some of you might remember, I purchased seven chicks in July, two bought from a local mom, and five ordered through the internet. Sadly, the best looking of them turned out to be a rooster and we had to find a home for him. Speck was lucky because he was purchased by a very nice lady who even sent up pictures of him and his new "friends". It was really hard to let him go.

To my total surprise, raising chickens has turned out to be an wonderful experience (building a coop with my own hands was also amazing). If somebody had told me a year ago how much fun having chickens would be, I would have thought there was something seriously wrong with this person, now I know I was wrong. Holding a fast asleep chick in your hands is priceless, so is realizing that chickens are born with a personality, like children. Their nature manifests immediately, and it stays true when they are fully grown. Given the fact that our chicks never had a hen to show them how to be a chicken, we were amazed that they know what to do, instincts are really powerful.

I had hoped to get eggs at 4 months, but I should have listened to all the people who told me that in reality chickens start laying at 6 months. When we went to Italy we really missed our loud feathered friends, but we were pleasantly surprised to find our first eggs when we got back. Cloudy, our tiniest chicken, a bantam Ameraucana, started laying green eggs about a month ago, and they are the cutest thing, even though I never cease to be surprised on how something so big can come out of something so small. We were surprised again when we found the egg of the third chicken that started laying, as it was pure white. Yesterday, our biggest, blackest, and mellowest chicken laid her first egg, a beautiful pale beige, almost pink egg. Now we are waiting for the last two to star laying, and that should give us 3-4 fresh eggs a day, imagine the possibilities!

I know I cannot make everyone who has a garden get chickens and raise them, but after witnessing their excitement when they are let out of the coop, I had the painful confirmation that there is something really wrong and inhumane in keeping chickens confined in overcrowded cages, with no room for moving around. Since as consumers we have the power of making choices I strongly suggest that you buy eggs from chickens raised humanely. Besides the ethics against caging, the quality of nutrients from chickens raised inhumanely cannot be good, pumped with antibiotics and stressed from their living conditions. Thanks for listening.

Frittata di Boraggine-Borage Frittata

When I lived in Venice I used to go with my friends on weekend excursions in the woods of the Venetian countryside. In the spring time we always collected edible plants and then would make the most awesome dishes back home. My friend Paola is an awesome cook and one of the things that connected us was our passion for foraging. There are many plants that are easily foraged in Europe, free and delicious, nettles being one of them.

One of the things that I love to eat is Borage, a very prickly plant with beautiful blue flowers. The leaves can be fried and the tiny flowers can be candied and used to decorate cakes. Borage is a great plant to have in a vegetable garden, apparently it improves the flavor of tomatoes, and it has great health benefits, as an anti-inflammatory, as a stress reliever, and is full of minerals like potassium.

Three years ago I (stole) took a plant from a local garden, that plant grew and its progeny has reseeded itself for the past three years.

I did some work in the garden this morning and felt like eating something I grew, and borage was just calling my name. The easiest way to eat it is in a frittata, for a healthy, quick, and satisfying lunch.

Borage Frittata

1 medium shallot
EVOO
1 cup chopped borage leaves
2 eggs, beaten
salt and pepper

Cook the shallots in the olive oil until translucent, add the borage and cook until soft. Add the cooked leaves to the eggs and mix well. Heat some more olive oil in a non stick pan and pour the egg mixture in. Cook on medium heat until it is cooked halfway. Turn the frittata on the other side and cook through. Serve it warm. I simply rolled a slice with some arugula and ate it as finger food.

Buon Appetito!