Recipe: Organic Pastured Eggs with Spring Greens

                          Image via WikipediaAs you read this blog, you'll come to learn that one of my passions is cooking from scratch with farm-fresh, homegrown food. Not the kind you find at the supermarket, but the kind you find at the local farmer's market. I've been a member of a local CSA for 3 years now (if you don't know what a CSA is, click the link to learn more now, because you're really missing out!) and one of my favorite treats are the amazing fresh organic eggs, from pasture raised chickens (for more on pastured chickens, and why their eggs are so great, see this interesting article: http://2silos.com/?page_id=21. Basically pastured chickens lay the best eggs you can find anywhere! (See below for more info.)

Today I wanted to share with you one of my new favorite breakfasts that I just discovered this spring. Simple, fast, delicious, and filled with nature's best "superfoods," this one will get you going in the morning!

Fresh Eggs with Spring Greens (serves one, but may be modified to serve as many as desired)
Time: 10 minutes, tops!
Ingredients:
2 fresh eggs from pastured chickens
Handful of fresh greens (I usually use curly mustard picked fresh from my garden, but any other type of greens may be substituted. Some suggestions include spinach, arugula, young kale, collards, or turnip greens.)
Butter
Fresh ground pepper
Sea salt
Grated cheese (optional)
Directions:
Heat 1/2 TB butter in cast iron skillet over medium-high heat, until foam subsides.
Wash and shake dry (or spin) greens to remove moisture. Spread greens in bottom of skillet, and season with a couple of grinds of pepper, and a sprinkle of sea salt. Cover and lower heat to medium. Let cook about 3 minutes, til greens are wilted and slightly tender.
Stir greens, then spread evenly in bottom of skillet.
Gently crack eggs over greens, being careful not to break the yolks. Quickly sprinkle with cheese, if desired. (Cheddar or Colby Jack are good basic choices, or go with something a bit fancier like Gruyere or Feta if you're in the mood!)
Cover tightly and cook 2 minutes, turning off heat after 1 minute. (Or 'til desired doneness -- I like my yolks runny, but whites firm.)
Slide onto plate, and sprinkle with more salt and pepper if desired.
Devour, and lick the plate!
I'd love to hear how you like this recipe!  I've included some more info on pastured eggs below (plus a picture of a carton from my fridge -- aren't they lovely?), and you can find more great cooking from scratch resources on our website at http://www.newholisticliving.com/cookingfromscratch.html
Or try this great book: Cooking from the Garden: Best Recipes from Kitchen Gardener
Rose.

Just a bit of info on Pastured Poultry:

Research shows that pastured poultry eggs are better than eggs laid by confined hens:

• Pastured eggs contain 20 times more omega-3 fatty acids with a ratio of 1 to 1 omega-6 to omega-3.  Factory eggs have a top heavy ratio of 20 to 1.
  (Ref: New England Journal of Medicine -1989)
• Pastured eggs have 10% less fat, 40% more vitamin A, 400% more omega-3 fatty acids. *
• Pastured eggs have 34% less cholesterol. *
• Pastured eggs produce positive HDL or good cholesterol and lowers “bad” triglycerides.
• Pastured poultry have 21% less total fat, 30% less saturated fat, and 28% fewer calories vs. conventionally raised. Meat has 50% more vitamin A and 100% more omega3s. *

(Ref: Nutrition -1993) * (ref: USDA Sustainable Agriculture and Research Education Program).

Related articles on Pastured Eggs:

• How to buy the healthiest eggs (msnbc.msn.com)
• Where To Find Really Healthy Eggs and Poultry (It's Not at Whole Foods) (alternet.org)
• Local Layers: The Best Eggs for Health and Flavor (thegreenists.com)