Good Eggs
When Jared and Chelsey Schlosnagle were 5 and 6 years old respectively, their parents, Doug and Susan, thought the family’s beef cattle might be too big for the kids to care for. “That’s why we bought them chickens to mess with,” says Susan, a Shelby Energy Cooperative member. The siblings started with 12 laying hens in a 10×12-foot movable coop, and sold eggs at church. The business grew gradually, and then during high school they started a Future Farmers of America project, which forced them to keep records, open a bank account, and rent 12 acres from their parents; in short, to run it like a business.
Chelsey’s Gourmet Pasture Eggs has been a prize-winning project for both siblings, providing an income that has helped to pay for their college. Last year, they doubled their flock from 1,500 birds to 3,000, and hired help to gather, clean, and package eggs while they attend Eastern Kentucky University.
Even with lots of eggs, Susan says there’s no time to come up with fancy recipes. “Mainly we put a bunch of eggs in a skillet and serve them over easy on toast.”
During the summer farmers’ market season, however, the family sells omelets, sausage-egg biscuits, and other food at the St. Matthews Farmers Market in Louisville. Susan says, “The egg, spinach, green onion, goat cheese, and sausage omelet is popular.” Susan adds that the beef sausage with dried apples in it “is quite different than pork sausage and has become very popular at the farmers’ market.” Jared raises and sells Jared’s Grass Finished Beef. For more information go online to www.dutchcreekfarm.net.
Schlosnagle’s Farm Market Omelet
2 big handfuls baby spinach (about 4 oz)
2 Tbsp butter
2 green onions, trimmed and thinly sliced
Salt and pepper to taste
6 large eggs
1⁄2 C cooked sausage (such as Jared’s apple-beef breakfast sausage)
1⁄4 C fresh goat cheese
Wash and coarsely chop the spinach. Melt butter in a wide (preferably nonstick) skillet over medium heat. Stir in green onion and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add spinach and stir often until it is wilted and the water it gives off has evaporated, about 4 minutes. Remove to a plate.
Meanwhile, beat eggs with a little salt and pepper. Pour eggs into skillet and cook until they start to set around the edges. Use a spatula to push the set edge gently toward the center, while tilting the pan to let some of the unset egg fill the little gap you just made. Keep going around the edge of the pan like this, until there is no more unset egg on top.
Crumble goat cheese over the top, sprinkle on sausage, and dot with spinach mixture. Remove from heat, and fold the omelet over to create a half-moon. Let stand 1 minute. Turn onto a plate and cut in half. Serves 2.
READER RECIPE
Carla’s Breakfast Rice
3 slices bacon
2 C Minute Rice
2 bouillon cubes, beef or chicken
1 small onion
1 small green pepper
2 or 3 eggs, seasoned to taste
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1⁄4 tsp salt
1⁄4 tsp black pepper
1⁄4 tsp garlic salt
Cook bacon until crisp; drain and crumble. Cook rice according to directions on package, adding the bouillon cubes into the water, then set aside. Dice onion and green pepper.
In a bowl, beat eggs with Worcestershire sauce. Set aside. Heat a large skillet and coat with cooking spray or butter; place on medium heat. Add onion and pepper and cook until soft, about 10 minutes. Add cooked rice, salt, pepper, and garlic salt to taste.
Reheat rice, stirring to break it up if necessary, mixing it evenly with the vegetables. Create a hole in the center of the rice mixture, spray cooking spray or add butter to the pan in the space you’ve created, pour egg mixture in, cook, and stir eggs occasionally to scramble until cooked through. Sprinkle with bacon. Serves 4-6.
Submitted by CARLA GRANT from Grayson County, a Warren RECC member, who says, “This recipe was given to me by my mother-in-law Rita Grant. She says that the onion and pepper are crucial to the recipe. It is good with a slice of toast, and it’s best with a fresh red tomato.”
