May 23, 2010

Farmers' Market Find - Fresh Duck Eggs

There's always a treasure trove of wonderful food at the market - in season now are ramps, fiddlehead ferns, asparagus, fava beans. Seeing all those delicious greens reminds us that summer is practically here. 


But don’t forget to look for something new in the basics too. I first tried duck eggs last spring and was immediately hooked. It starts with the eggs themselves – beautiful mottled colours, all slightly different in size and shape, each egg looking as if it were cast of marble. These are eggs harvested by hand, not sorted by a machine.


The real prize is inside. While the eggs are virtually the same size as chicken eggs, the yolks are bigger and a deeper hue of yellow, the white pristine white. Use them for everything that you would normally use eggs for, but to appreciate the real “egginess” of them, make a couple sunny side up in a pan, served alongside freshly toasted bread. It will make your weekend a better thing.