From sweet to savory, eggs do it all

By Meredith Hines-Dochterman/The Gazette

CEDAR RAPIDS - The hum of the food processor does little to drown out the sounds of the chickens, turkey and geese at Long Shot Farms.

For Joe Stutler, the constant activity is soothing as he dices a red onion, measures lemon juice and checks the temperature on his outdoor oven.

“I love to cook outside,” Stutler says. “It's my thing.”

So are eggs, which is the main export of Long Shot Farms.

Nearly 50 breeds of birds call the farm home, providing the eggs Stutler and his fiance, Sarah Castelein, need to run their business and indulge their culinary explorations.

“My little catchphrase nowadays is ‘Play with your food,'” says Stutler, who regularly teaches food classes at the Edgewood Road Hy-Vee. “Cooking is supposed to be fun.”

Today, he's whipping up mayonnaise - literally.

“There's really nothing to it,” Stutler says as he pours four egg yolks in the food processor.

Lemon juice is added, followed by salt, pepper and salad oil. A few minutes later, Stutler begins the process again, this time adding homemade garlic and rosemary vinegar.

The diversity of the mayonnaise perfectly showcases the diversity of the egg itself. As Irma S. Rombauer wrote in “Joy of Cooking,” the egg's elegant package holds a treasure of balanced nutrients - fats, proteins and minerals.

Eggs also are an excellent source of choline, an essential nutrient that is particularly important for developing fetuses and infants.

Eggs are in high demand this time of year as kids dye them in preparation for Easter, but Stutler believes the egg deserves to take center stage no matter the season.

“Eggs are something you can enjoy from breakfast through dessert,” Stutler says.

Consider the recipes he shared at “Hen Fruit - Eggstolling the Virtues” in January. Those who attended the Edgewood Road Hy-Vee class walked away knowing how to make mayonnaise, Avgolemono soup, eggs Rockefeller and lemon curd meringue tarts. The list doesn't even include Stutler's favorite egg recipe - custard.

“I am a custard junkie,” he said. “It's basically eggs, milk and sugar.”

Swap the sugar for ham, cheese and bread for and you have strata.

“Eggs can be sweet, they can be savory,” Stutler says.

Castelein says she leans toward egg's sweet side, particularly meringues.

“I guess I like the desserts,” she laughs.

Comments: (319) 398-8434; meredith.hines-dochterman@sourcemedia.net

 

Ham and cheese strata

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, room temperature

10 large eggs

2 1/2 cups whole milk

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon salt

1 loaf bread, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 pound boiled or baked deli ham, chopped

5 scallions, chopped (1/2 cup)

8 ounces sharp cheddar, shredded

Butter a 2 1/2- to 3-quart baking dish. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, mustard, paprika, and salt.

Place half of the bread in the bottom of a baking dish. Top with half each of the ham, scallions and cheese. Repeat with a second layer of the remaining ham, scallions and cheese, pressing down as necessary to fit in the baking pan.

Carefully pour the egg mixture over into the bread. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Pull strata out of fridge and let come to room temperature for 15 minutes. Bake the strata, uncovered, until puffed and lightly golden brown, about 1 hour to 1 hour and 20 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Recipe from www.marthastewart.com

Eggs Baked in Avocado

Avocado

Two eggs

1 tablespoon shredded cheese

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Preheat oven to 425. Place cast iron pan in the oven to warm.

Slice avocado in half and remove the pit. Carve out a little space in the center to make room for the egg. Separate the yolk from the egg white. Place the egg yolk in the indentation and add whites until full.

Place the avocado and egg in the pan. Cover with cheese and seasoning.

Place in oven until eggs are cooked to desired doneness.

Recipe adapted from lifehacker.com

Mayonnaise

4 egg yolks

6 tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon salt

Pinch of white pepper

2 cups salad oil or light olive oil

Using an electric hand mixer, stand mixer, wire whisk or food processor, beat the egg yolks until they are thoroughly beaten. Add 2 tablespoons lemon juice and whisk for about 30 seconds. Then add the salt and beat for another 30 seconds.

Continue to beat or whisk on high and slowly add the oil, as little as a drop at a time. When the emulsion starts to form, you can add the oil a bit more quickly, but adding it too fast will cause the emulsion to break.

When the emulsion thickens, add additional lemon juice to thin it out. Continue adding oil, stopping occasionally to add more lemon juice if the mixture gets too thick.

Store unused portion in the refrigerator, where it should keep for a day or two.

Recipe from Joe Stutler, Long Shot Farm

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