Farm Fresh on Our Table

For any aspiring cook who feels hopeless in the kitchen and claims "I can't even boil an egg," please don't judge your cooking/baking abilities by that endeavor. The other day was my first time perfectly hard-boiling a batch of eggs. I was so proud! Although my mama uses the 20 minute simmer method (after bringing the eggs and water to a boil), I haven't had the best of luck. So this go-round, I went for the boil and then remove from heat, with lid on for 15-20 minutes method. I even stirred the eggs midway through to better distribute the yolks. And look at these beauties! 

 Thanks to our lovely girls out in the Chicken Palace (who molted and had a drop in egg production--but are back to giving us 3 eggs a day again). I made the boiled eggs to top our supper salad that evening. 

(P.S. Black granite...love the look, not the constant battle with trying to keep them halfway clean).

Levi loves helping in the kitchen (so does Mason, my almost 3 year old, but he was napping). He was equally proud of our job boiling the eggs because he remembered my effort a few weeks ago where I thought the eggs were ready and they weren't so they ended up in the trash. He did a great job peeling the eggs, too. 

I'm still learning to love eggs. Growing up I barely ate a bite or two of scrambled eggs. And I'm still iffy at trying eggs cooked any way but scrambled or hard-boiled. My favorite way to eat them is as egg salad. 

Tonight's minestrone featured three things from our garden: zucchini (from the summer--I shredded it and froze it in 1 cup bags), kale and tomatoes (well, the tomatoes are actually from my mama because she's the tomato canning machine--eventually I'll have to learn how to do that but for now, I get to enjoy her hard work). 

This minestrone is very tasty and satisfying--perfect for the tail-end of winter. I basically follow the Bush's Red, White, and Bean Minestrone recipe that I pulled from a magazine several years ago. Levi insisted that his Captain America cup be featured in the picture, by the way. Happy last day of February!