My Pantry Shelf

Spring is officially here!  Despite the heavy rains of late, there are signs of renewal all around.  At our tiny homestead, the fruit trees are blooming, the shrubs sending forth new growth, and the chickens are beginning to really pump out the eggs.  Our five chickens lay almost year round, with a solid month break around the winter solstice.  Now they are back to laying enough that we can count several egg meals a week.

What better way to welcome spring than to enjoy a pure egg, the ancient symbol of renewal, atop a bed of fresh spring greens?  These two signatures of spring work together beautifully to make a special breakfast or a light dinner.  Saute the greens and mushrooms with a little onion and garlic, then crack the eggs right into a depression in the greens mixture.  The egg will set and hold the greens together to form an attractive little basket.  The dish is beautiful to present, incredibly nutritious, and very tasty.  Serve with home fries or toast.

Eggs in a Basket of Greens

serves 4

4 eggs

1/4 cup onion, minced

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced

4 cups chard (or other green), washed

1 Tablespoon butter

Lay the chard leaves flat, cut out the stem.  Stack the leaves neatly and roll lengthwise into a neat bundle.  Thinly slice the bundle to create thin strips of chard (This is important because the long strips get a bit tangled in the pan and contribute to the basket effect).

In a skillet over medium heat, melt butter and add onion, garlic, and mushroom.   Saute 3-5 minutes until softened.  Add chard and season with salt.  Cover pan and cook for 5-10 minutes until greens have wilted and begun to soften.  Stir mixture to evenly distribute all the ingredients.

Make depressions in the greens mixture for each of the eggs.  Crack eggs into the pan, cover, and reduce heat to medium-low.  Cook until egg white it set, but yolk is still runny (approximately 10 minutes).  Scoop one “egg basket” on each plate and serve with toast or potatoes.

Here is a printer friendly version of the recipe: Eggs in a Basket of Greens

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