
The next best thing to raising chickens is to find a connection where one can buy locally raised, organic eggs. My sister-in-law Sue hooked us up with her good friends Bob and Ted, who have raised quite a flock of various chickens, a couple of turkeys and lots of home grown produce. This summer when my husband Jim built some large work tables out of scrap lumber, we were able to barter one of them for ten dozen eggs from the gentlemen farmers, (not all at once, of course!) with the option to buy future dozens at a very reasonable cost. Fantastic!
Depending on the particular breed of the chicken, the eggs are soft, lovely colors of peach, greeny blue, bluish green, toasty brown, and white. Their flavors are fresh and delicate, needing only the barest kiss of salt to elevate a dish of scrambled eggs to the epitome of eggy perfection.Have I mentioned that I adore eggs in any form, from raw to hard boiled? This is egg nirvana.
When it comes to sourcing food, finding a favorite food connection is well worth the time and the hunt. Food writer Pim of Chez Pim food blog told the clandestine story about The Truffle Don in her quest to find a coveted truffle connection in Monaco. Although not nearly so romantic and exotic a locale as Monaco, finding our own egg connection in a nearby rural area feels like taking my taste buds on a culinary pilgrimmage. Not quite as convenient as buying organic from the local grocery, but one bite let's me know: It is SO worth it.