Easy dinner. With hard to get farm fresh eggs.

There are so many interesting patterns in a human nature. Let's take a closer look at this one: the greater the effort or risk it takes to acquire something we desire, the greater the value we tend to assign to the object of our desire.

Farm fresh eggs

Things we invest more money, time and/or energy into. Bring to your mind marketing messages - "hard to get", "ends soon", "limited quantity". They all designed to deliver a message there is a great value offered. And those messages do string a chord somewhere inside our human soul. 

For me, it is farm fresh eggs. Yes, those eggs are really hard to get at Drumlin farm. In the last 4 years my family goes there, I was able to get my hands on the eggs 3 times only.  Only 3.

What is so special about those eggs? Since they are so hard to get, my mind immediately assigns them almost magic properties. But, trust me, those eggs are the best. They are super fresh. They come in different sizes and colors. They come from pastured egg mobile - the chickens eat live worms and insects and spend their time under the sun. So the eggs are rich in vitamins, minerals and omega oils.

The taste is incredible. I like to use fresh farm eggs for omelets, eggs sunny side and mayonnaise. My kids love scrambled eggs.  I add sour cream or yogurt to create silky, custard like texture. I prefer fermented dairy to regular milk that usually used.

Scrambled eggs made with yogurt

Ingredients

2 eggs
sea salt, pinch
whole milk yogurt, 2 tablespoons (or sour cream)
butter, for cooking
parmesan cheese, grated, 1 tablespoon (optional)

Method

Break the eggs into bowl. Add salt, yogurt and whisk.

Eggs whisked with yogurt

Preheat the pan on medium heat for a couple of minutes. Add butter to cover the pan. Add the egg mixture. Spead parmesan on top, if using. Cook for 2 minutes and flip. It is fine to flip separate pieces - easier for the kids to eat. Cook till it is not runny or to your liking.

Omelet served

Serve warm.

Zucchini pancakes. With millet and barley.

Our weekend breakfast treat are pancakes. My family likes warm pancakes served with good chocolate spread or maple syrup. I like mine with sour cream, the way my grandmother used to serve.

I feel like I am repeating someone else here. So many times I came across of another "grandmother recipe" and another "weekend treat". So what is different?

The ingredients. Millet flour, barley flour and grated zucchini. I have to admit that this is one of very few ways my kids will eat zucchini. Or millet. Or barley.

millet barley zucchini pancakes

Millet is a small gluten free grain with nice yellow color. Barley is a low gluten grain with nutty flavor. Different grains provide different sets of nutrients. Using something other than traditional wheat flour is a good way to ensure variety in the menu.

Zucchini millet barley pancakes
adapted from Wild Yeast blog by Susan


Ingredients
sourdough starter, 2 table spoons
water, 250 gram (I use tap water)
millet flour, 125 gr
barley flour, 125 gr
zucchini, 1-2 grated on fine side of grater
maple syrup, 2 table spoons
olive oil, 2 table spoons
eggs, 2
sea salt, 1/2 teaspoons
baking soda, 1 teaspoon
cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon (optional)


Method

Start night before your morning pancake breakfast - mix together sourdough starter, flours and water in a glass container. Leave on counter in room temperature till morning, covered, but not completely closed.  The mixture will be full of bubbles in the morning. Add all rest of ingredients and whisk them together. Cook on a hot buttered skillet. I like to use clarified butter since it burns less.

Submitted to weekly yeast spotting on Wild Yeast blog.

Zebra cake. Sweet cooking with kids. With whole grains.

Baking with children is sweet. For children, it is an entire project that includes counting, measuring, sensory experiences, instruction following, socializing and taking turns.  For me, it is a quality time and practice in patience. And in the end, there is a sweet creation made with their little hands. They will be proud.
 

 

Spelt zebra cake made by me and the kids

Zebra cake 
 
Ingredients

butter, 4 tablespoons unsalted, room temperature
sugar,  3/4 cups  (I used raw turbinado)
eggs, 4 room temperature
sour cream, 8 oz or one cup
baking soda, 1 teaspoon
vinegar, 1 teaspoon
orange zest of 1/4 organic orange
spelt flour,  1 1/2 cups (or while whole wheat)
unsweetened cocoa powder, 1/4 cup

Method

The instructions are for adult baking with child. Ages 2 to 6. Mark each step as completed as you go to teach your child to work with instructions.

1. Oven preparation:
Preheat to 350 degrees F.

2. Eggs and sugar:
Break one egg into small bowl and let you child transfer it to the big bowl. Repeat. Let your child to count four eggs. Let your child to measure and add sugar to eggs. Show her/him how to use whisk and to cream eggs and sugar. Let your child to try.

3. Butter and sour cream:
Ask your child to add butter and sour cream and mix. Reserve paper wrap of butter.

4. Orange zest:
Wash an orange. You may show your little helper microplane or zester and explain that it is sharp and how to use it. Older kids can use the tool with or without your assistance. Make sure to smell the zest together. It has fresh and relaxing fragrance. Add the orange zest to the mix and whisk again.

5. Flour:
Let your child measure measure 1/2 cup flour.  Add flour to the mix and combine. Repeat 3 times. In addition to health advantages for spelt flour, it forms weaker gluten chains, so it is not easy to over mix as regular flour. 

6. Leavening:
Now the volcano part. To replace baking powder we will use mix of soda and vinegar. Put tea spoon of baking soda in a table spoon and together with your child gently pour teaspoon of vinegar over it. Add to batter and mix gently. Explain to your child what is the reason to do it. Small little bubbles of air created by mixing vinegar and soda will make the cake light and tender. And bigger!

7. Pan:
Grease a small baking pan with butter. I used small cast iron pan. Springform pan can be used. You can use paper the butter was wrapped in to grease the pans. Sprinkle with flour.

8. Zebra pattern:
Move half of the batter to another bowl. Let your child measure the cocoa powder and add it to one of the bowls. Mix to combine. You will have a bowl of yellow cake batter and a bowl of chocolate cake batter. Pour 2 table spoons of chocolate batter into the center of the pan. Pour 2 table spoons of yellow batter. Repeat. It is a taking turns practice, especially if you are baking with more than one child or in a classroom.

9. Bake:
Bake for 50-60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into cake center comes out clean and still moist. Cool for 10 minutes, remove from pan and cool completely on cookie rack.

Zebra cake after baking in heavy pan

10. Eat:
Get your plates. Ask your child to bring forks and enjoy together.