Weeds & Eggs

 
Oh boy, Pluck & Feather has been buried in weeds and going through hardscape transformations. Two large trees have been removed leaving much turned up land, holes in the view and workworkwork. Beds are growing but framed by overgrown weeds. The space where Virgl had been kept was made fertile by his daily habits. Now with a month of good rains and sun to heat the soil there are Jurassic sized weeds popping up.
 
Its a mess basically. Sigh…
 
The fun continues however, as my young pullets have started laying so egg production is back up. One of them is an Auraucana which means I woke one morning to retrive bright green eggs! Its a pleasure to have them in the mix again. They are so pretty. And what does one do with too many weeds and lots of new eggs? Make salad!
 
Ingredients (yield: 4)*
For the croutons
2 cups stale bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoon minced herbs, such as thyme or rosemary
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
 
For the salad
8 ounces thick-cut bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
Canola oil, as needed
1 tablespoon minced shallots
2 tablespoon sherry vinegar
1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
4 cups dandelion leaves
 
For the eggs
4 large eggs
6 cups water
1/4 cup white vinegar
Procedures
 
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Toss the bread with the oil, herbs, and salt, and spread on a baking sheet. Bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes.
 
In the meantime, start the bacon cooking in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook until the fat renders and the bacon is chewy and starting to crisp, 7-10 minutes. Remove to a plate lines with paper towels, then add a little canola oil (if necessary) to make about 1/3 cup of fat, depending on how much fat the bacon rendered. Add the shallots, vinegar, and mustard and bring to a boil, scraping up any brown bits in the pan. Stir quickly to bring together into a dressing and keep warm.
 
While the bacon is cooking, bring the water and vinegar for the eggs to a simmer, then crack the eggs into a small dish or ladle. Slip them carefully into the water and simmer until the whites are just set and the yolk is still runny, about 3-4 minutes.
 
In a large bowl, combine the dandelion greens with the bacon, croutons, and dressing. Toss to combine, then plate and top with the poached egg. Serve immediately while the egg and dressing are still warm.

*recipe obtained from Serious Eats.

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