…… for dinner that is!  Local, too!

Now mind you, we normally do not eat Breakfast at our house, at least the ceremonial breakfast.  We usually grab a few too many cups of coffee, some fruit (seasonal), yogurt, steel cut oats or maybe a piece of toasted something, all on the way out the door.  If, we have time on the weekends, between errands, biking, and catching up with friends/family, then I try to make something to gnaw on, while we lounge around the house, this is usually waffles or chouquettes.  Exception is breakfasts over the holidays in Montana – then it is full on eggs, bacon, benedict’s, waffles, the works to feed 15 hungry people!

We have been drooling all over the latest issue of Saveur which is all about breakfast.  Can you imagine, how excited I was to flip open the magazine, right to our latest favorite breakfast treat, which we dined on daily in Mexico, Salsa-Simmered Tortillas;  not, to mention oodles of pages of eggs, gravy, bisquits and traditional dishes such as eggs Benedict, and eggs!  This is clearly not an issue to pass up.

Dinner tonight was a venture outside of my comfort-zone, crossing the bridge to “runny eggs”.  As a regular reader you are full aware that we do eat a few runny eggs on salads, mushrooms, even the occasional pizza.  I am not a big runny egg fan, in fact, I have an odd habit of just dipping my toast into the yolk until it is gone and then only eating the part of the white that is well done, leaving a circle of white with yolk particles left on it;  it is strange, I know!  The only other time I really like runny eggs on anything remotely related to dinner, is Lardon Salads, then I LOVE it!  Since I am so in love with this breakfast issue, the photos of baked eggs completely sucked me in and the mere fact, that Lenny really loves the whole egg thing, I decided to make Baked Eggs with Duck Fat Potatoes and warm crusty bread for dinner.

I crisped up some basic russet potatoes in duck fat and then sprinkled sea salt and pepper all over them.  While the potatoes were bathing in their duck fat bath, I baked the eggs in a bed of spinach and cream, which was seasoned with pancetta, tomatoes, sea salt, french thyme, parmesan and cracked black pepper.

Verdict:  I thought it was a lot better than I anticipated.  Although my egg was a little overcooked, I still really enjoyed it.  The flavors of everything really complimented each other, salty and savory, warm and comfortable. Lenny thought it was FANTASTIC.  He said it at least 5 times, finally something that was better than a mere “good”. 

Breakdown for this meal & the Eat Local Challenge:

Pancetta – Boccalone – Local

Cream – organic & from Petaluma

Eggs – Cage free & from Sonoma County

Thyme – from our garden

Spinach – local

Tomatoes – local

Parmesan – not organic nor local

Olive Oil – Italy, what we have on hand

Salt & Pepper – what we have on hand

Potatoes – organic & from California

Duck Fat – not sure, but from Golden Gate Meat Company

Wine – local