Olive Oil Basted, Poached Egg Breakfast

Farm fresh eggs are one of the most beautiful things you can cook. The yolk is a bright but burnt orange color from a diet richer in nutrients then commercially kept laying hens. Our chickens get corn and grain daily and we 'treat' them daily with vegetable and fruit scraps, stale bread and crackers, leftover cooked grains like rice and quinoa, and fresh grass (seasonally obviously!!). They have a pen/paddock that they can roam in with the freedom to go back inside whenever they would like. You can see from the photo that the yolk is a much richer color then conventional eggs and typically the richer orange color is indicative of a higher omega content and higher nutrient volumes like vitamin A and beta-carotene. They have a much deeper flavor, slightly more earthy and not so bland as commercial eggs, if you can find a friend or CSA program that sells farm fresh eggs you should take advantage of it and purchase eggs from them.

Feta cheese comes from many places. In grocery stores most of the feta in the dairy section would be known as Greek feta, but French feta is also common and usually found in the specialty cheese aisle at major grocery stores. However, I find that Bulgarian feta has the nicest flavor. It is creamier then its Greek and French counterparts which can be more dry and crumbly, it has a touch - a small touch, more salt which helps to develop the flavor but makes it no way salty. Bulgarian feta is easily found in Armenian/Turkish/Lebanese food markets but you could probably also find it at a specialty cheese shop or even a market like Whole Foods. It is well worth the slightly higher price (about $1/pound more), you will use less cheese then with an inferior product which doesn't have as much flavor.

For the breakfast:
eggs (1-2 per person)
olive oil
slice of a crusty type bread like ciabatta, toasted (optional)
feta cheese
mixed fruit

1. Heat olive oil in a non-stick saute pan over medium heat - depending on size of pan you will need about 3 tablespoons (or 1 tablespoon/egg BUT don't use a pan that is too large for the number of eggs in it - a large saute pan about 8" in diameter is good for 3-5 eggs, for 1-2 eggs use one that is more like 5-6" in diameter). Meanwhile toast your bread if you are using it.
2. Crack eggs right into pan, let them cook until the whites of the eggs become solid or completely white (the eggs to the right are half-way done).
3. Tip the pan slightly to collect some olive oil in a spoon and spoon it over the eggs yolks. Do this 2-3 times for each yolk and then the eggs will be cooked with a runny yolk center. Remove from heat.
4. Spread feta over the toast if you are having toast, and then place your egg over toast; if you are not using toast, place egg on plate and crumble some feta over the top of the egg. You can drizzle some more olive oil over the top if you so desire.

ENJOY!!!