Alchemy! Butter, Sugar, & Eggs, Oh My!
With our new laying flock at Camont getting up to full summer speed, I am gathering 5-7 eggs a day. Yes! that's 35-50 eggs a week; 3 to 4 dozen a week. Dozen's of fresh farm eggs from very free range and well fed hens. Friends benefit, students get lots of practice, and mostly I am inspired every day to make something with eggs. From herbed omelettes to poached eggs at breakfast; golden yolky pain perdu or French toast and clafoutis with fruits for Sunday; Spanish tortillas and Italian frittatas for supper. But best of all they are one of the solid bases of our special French trilogy for pastry.
Think of all the wonderful pastries we make in France- from choux puffs and eclairs, to crème patisserie filled tartes, to sugary egg washes on my rough puff croustades. Quatre-quarts or pound cakes leaven and glow golden; a foaming eggy Sabayon to ladle over soft fruits; and even simple lacy crepes owe their special flavor and color to our deep golden yoked eggs.
When pastry chef Molly Wilkinson of www.mollyjwilk.com came for a visit this spring, she fell in love with our fresh produce at Camont and we hatched a little plan to share her skills and creative take on Classic French Pastries. You can read more about a Weekend Pastry Adventures with Molly here in the Kitchen at Camont here!
Here's Molly whipping up some more sweet treats at Camont! Take a look and join us in August 17-19 at Camont.