116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
The incredible edible egg
I've been known to eat breakfast foods for all three meals in one day, so it's no secret that I love eggs. Scrambled, fried, deviled, steamed, in a quiche/burrito/taco/bagel, cracked over pasta, crumbled over a salad, baked in a bacon "wrapper".... So when Meredith came to me with her next food column my mouth started watering immediately: EGGS. In particular, the diversity of eggs. We all know how to scramble them and fry, but what else can you do with eggs? Once you get good and hungry from looking at the photos below, head over to the story for recipes.
Joe Stutler invited us out to Longshot Farms for a lesson on making mayonaise from scratch, but when we arrived preparations for a feast were underway! First up was an egg salad sandwich. The vivid yellow of the yolks is due to the diet of their free-range chickens.
Next up, a savory strata came out of the oven. The photo really doesn't do it justice, to be honest. Some foods just don't photograph well...
...especially since of the farm cats was all too eager to dig in.
Two sauces, spicy and tartar, topped off fish dishes. Since I was only photographing the fish, I opted for preparation photos instead of plating the fish more elaborately.
A visit to the farm wouldn't be complete without meeting the chickens who lay these delicious eggs. There's something wonderful about knowing where your food comes from. A chicken literally laid an egg right in Joe's hand while making his egg collection rounds during our visit. It doesn't get much fresher than that.
After the farm, we headed back to my house for one last dish, a new obsession of mine: eggs baked in an avocado. I made them just that Sunday for my own Sunday brunch, and took a few lessons learned the hard way to make a more successful batch. (Prop up the avocado with foil, and spoon the yolk in first to prevent spills.) Plated with greens and hearty toast for ultimate deliciousness (and a more interesting photo). My kitchen has lovely light, so this was shot strictly with available light.
Eggs from Long Shot Farm, the farm of Joe Stutler and Sarah Castelein. (Liz Martin/The Gazette-KCRG)
Left, Joe Stutler pours an egg yolk into the food processor while making mayonnaise. Right, chopping hard-boiled eggs. Bottom, an egg salad sandwich prepared on Wednesday, March 28, 2012, at Long Shot Farm. (Liz Martin/The Gazette-KCRG)
A savory strata, made with stale bread, eggs, ham, cheese, milk and southwestern seasoning, on Wednesday, March 28, 2012, at Long Shot Farm. (Liz Martin/The Gazette-KCRG)
(Liz Martin/The Gazette-KCRG)
Joe Stutler drizzles a spicy homemade sauce over a crabcake and tartar sauce for tilapia on Wednesday, March 28, 2012, at Long Shot Farm. (Liz Martin/The Gazette-KCRG)
A chicken in the barn at Long Shot Farm on Wednesday, March 28, 2012. (Liz Martin/The Gazette-KCRG)
An egg yolk is placed in an avocado half on Wednesday, March 28, 2012, in Cedar Rapids. Because using a whole egg will cause the white to overflow, first separate the yolk and add whites as needed. (Liz Martin/The Gazette-KCRG)
Eggs baked in an avocado are topped with cheese and served on toast with greens and fresh fruit on Wednesday, March 28, 2012, in Cedar Rapids. (Liz Martin/The Gazette-KCRG)
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