I can't seem to keep up with eating the eggs these days now that Matt is away! We get about 3 eggs every day from our four hens. I never cease to enjoy going into the coop and scooping these treasures out of the nesting boxes. The hens never seem to mind either which makes me feel good. The range of colors in these eggs makes opening up a carton in the fridge quite fun each time I do it. I wanted to share them with you: they range from pale blue, to pink to brown and brown with speckles. Sometimes our Jersey Giant lays these outrageously huge brown eggs that are double-yolkers. Once while Matt and I were out of town, our neighbor said Jersey laid a triple-yolker! What a good girl she is and such a hard worker! Every day we bring our hens treats to spoil them whether it be yogurt, wilting lettuce, or the cores of tomatoes....the happy clucking ensures me that they are thankful. Our rooster, Ubu, is another story. He has been on attack mode lately and is not at the top of my list. He is a bit too enthusiastic about his harem.
I couldn't help but share a photo of these delicious roasted pears I made the other night. I had them all to myself (I halved the recipe) which I suppose was a bit gluttonous but I had no problem finishing them!
Here is the recipe that I got from listening to NPR's The Splendid Table one day. I highly recommend indugling in these. I cooked them in the 400º oven for 30 minutes and then turned them. Another 20 minutes later I could not stand it because the smell was intoxicating so I took them out and ate 'em up!
Roasted Pears
Adapted from The Improvisational Cook by Sally Schneider (William Morrow, an Imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, 2006). Copyright 2006 by Sally Schneider.
Serves 4
- 4 not-quite-ripe pears such as Comice, Seckel or Bartlett, halved, peeled and cored
- Fresh lemon juice
- Sugar
- 1 vanilla bean, split
- Butter
1. Preheat oven to 400 F
2. Arrange pears, cut side down, in a baking dish. Drizzle with fresh lemon juice. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean with the tip of a sharp knife then mix the seeds with some granulated sugar (a cup or so; any leftover sugar can be stored, tightly covered, and used in other desserts). Dust the pears liberally with the vanilla sugar. Dot with butter.
3. Roast the pears until caramelized, turning them over half way through baking. If desired, just before serving, drizzle a few drops of fine aged balsamic vinegar on the pears.
During this past week I have been transplanting many tomato, eggplant, and pepper seedlings. They seem to be quite happy after their move and I am happy with their size. I also planted some new seeds during the last few days: Broccoli, Cauliflower, Brussel Sprouts, Red Cabbage, Green Cabbage, Kale, Collards, Swiss Chard and several varieties of lettuce and some sunflowers for color.
The misty dome covers are taking in the warm sunlight and most of the brassicas which I planted a few days ago have already sprouted. I expect the seeds I sowed today will sprout in another few days. It is at this time every Spring that I plan on the new expansion of my garden. It just gets bigger every year! This year Matt and I will add one more raised bed, measuring 4' x 16' with plans to grow more root vegetables. This year I am growing rutabagas and turnips for the first time. The extra bed will also open up more room for greens which we can never seem to get enough of. Now if only the snow would melt once and for all on the ground (we still have 2 feet!) I would be able to get out there in a couple of weeks and start feeding the soil in preparation for potatoes, peas and root veggies!
