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Friday, August 8, 2014

A Fresh Country Omelet

My funny Frank
We haven't made many omelets lately, but with an abundance of eggs and some great fresh stuff from the garden, it seemed like the thing to do. Frank and I both worked in restaurants for a number of years in the past. When we got married, we were both in college, working as a waitress and dishwasher at the same very small cafe. It helped pay the bills and in the long run, taught us a few things about cooking. You might be interested to know that Frank taught me to cook. Regular meals, that is. I learned to bake bread, how to make a good pie crust and some canning skills at my mother's elbow, but how to get everything in a meal to come out at the same time, I learned from Frank. The story is that I could burn water when we first got married. Luckily for us both, that has changed, and I really like to cook, and usually ban him from that task. 


When we looked around at the ingredients we had from the garden, we realized they would make a very tasty omelet. I started off with a little ground pork seasoned with salt and pepper.





To that I added an onion and a sweet pepper and let them cook for a bit. 




While they were cooking, I stirred up 3 eggs in a bowl for the first omelet. We used to have an omelet pan many years ago, but it had teflon in it. After a while every teflon pan we had would chip or get scratched and we didn't like the idea of eating teflon, so we got rid of them. It took a while, but now I can flip an omelet in my stainless steel skillet, just about as well as using an omelet pan. We bought a set of these stainless steel pans over 30 years ago when we got married and they are still working fine. I seldom use the skillet anymore, because after I finally learned how to use and take care of my cast iron skillet (it took me a number of years), I use it almost exclusively now. Over time we bought extra handles for our stainless steel pans, and we've replaced the ones on our saucepans at least once. They get used just about everyday and by this time, I hope to never change to any others. You know after a while you get rather set in your ways about some things and just don't care to change them, right? The only advice I have about flipping omelets is that you will have to practice. I have had many land on the stove, the floor, my wrist or just kind of land in a blob in the pan. It takes practice and patience. I don't use a spatula or anything, just a quick jerk of the pan. 


Right before both sets of eggs were ready, I added the tomatoes to the meat mixture. I didn't really want to cook them in, just heat them through.


We have enjoyed several omelets lately. There is no end to the possible combinations of ingredients that can be used. They are great with the salsa we made last summer as well. But, I guess the best thing about it is the fact that all of the ingredients we used came from our place,
except the meat, which came from a family down the road. I hope we never lose that feeling of wonder and joy at eating what comes from our small patch of earth here, it is such a humbling feeling. And guess what? We got our first brown egg from one of our young Australorps hens, which is always a treat. Like waiting for that first squash, potato or green bean of the season, we always wait for that first pullet egg like kids in a candy store. It's the simple things in life that bring the most pleasure and satisfaction. Life is good.

Until next time - Fern

5 comments:

  1. It is wonderful to see your own bounty isn't it? We do not have our own meat source yet being in town but we did find a superb farmer at the farmer's market to get chicken, beef and pork from! Wonderful people with a deeply Christian background and a huge core of practical and common sense to build their lives on.
    I made a pot roast with all our own vegetables and a roast from them. It was quite unreal...so good, no shrinkage and flavor that is hard to describe but I suspect our parents considered normal! I have been drying tomatoes and herbs, canning and freezing our garden bounty as fast as I can and we are beginning to see the results in our food storage. I still find it hard to believe how many people still do not garden and have the land area to do so. It is so worth it in both the better food and the better mental state! God Bless you both!

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    1. It sounds like you are making some great meals, Fiona. Yes, it is wonderful, I wouldn't trade it for the world. Thank you for sharing.

      Fern

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  2. Your meals always look so good !

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    1. Well, Grace, you know I only publish the pictures that look good. One time I made some sourdough bread that was way too sour to eat. We fed the whole batch, 2 loaves and some rolls, to the chickens. I didn't post that one. I thought about it, though. I was going to call it Yucky Bread. Thanks for sharing your kind thoughts.

      Fern

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  3. I've come to realize that scrambled eggs with stuff on them, tastes a whole lot like an omelet. LOL!!!! You also don't have to worry about the eggs sticking together. LOL

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