So, which came first. The brown egg or the white egg?…or maybe the green hued or speckled blue? What about baby bird or dinosaur sized?These days most consumers of eggs settle for the lowly large white egg. There they sit, stacked upon one another in their Styrofoam cartons from chickens that I can only imagine live a horror of a shortened life. I know that if I were a producer of eggs, as in if I were a chicken, I would not be giving it “my all” to create the tastiest and oldest forms of protein known to man. Which lead me to look at the label on the cartons of eggs I was buying. I happened to be shopping at Whole Foods one afternoon when I noticed the address of the farm. I was pleasantly surprised that these protein powerhouses came from a farm in Hillsborough, North Carolina, which is about 11 miles from my home in Durham.

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I am going to start this off by saying that I have been seduced by this dish. No. ‘Seduced’ is not strong enough a word. More like ‘captured’ by the combination of flavors. The zest of the vinegar, the sweetness of those browned onions, the fragrant allspice. It’s all there. In one tantalizing bite after tantalizing bite.

What also makes this recipe even more amazing are the soy protein patties in the dish. They are from Whole Foods and I have to say that their addictive! They have the best texture, almost fibrous, yet really juicy. For real. I like them so much that I am currently trying some secret scientist experiments in my kitchen to try to create them from scratch. Wish me luck.

Three great spices: 1/2 tsp black pepper, 1/2 tsp allspice and 2 tsps dried oregano.

Mix the spices in a bowl then coat the soy patties.

In 2 tbs of oil (I use olive) sauté the patties until lightly browned, remove from pan and set them aside.

Next cut an onion in half and make 1/4 inch slices. Add to the pan that the soy patties were in and sauté over med-low heat until caramelized. Diagonally slice 2 carrots and add to the pan. Cook for 2 minutes.

I then added some asparagus spears to the pan because, well, it’s Spring and I had them in my fridge. I snapped off the tough ends and also peeled them a bit before I added them to the pan. Sauté for about 4 minutes.

Take 3 peeled garlic cloves and cut them in half. Slice some peppers, whatever kind you like. I used a mix of pepperoncinis and sweet pickled red cherry peppers, but you could use Jalepenos or a Serrano. Whatever you chose, after you slice them add the garlic and peppers to the mix. Cook for a minute.

Next add the liquids. First add a 1/4 cup of cider vinegar.

Then add 1 cup of veggie broth. Mix well and let everything braise for 2 minutes.

You now can add the soy protein patties back into the pan, gently tucking them in between all those veggies and into the sauce. Cover with a lid and continue to cook for another minute.

To serve, I simply set the asparagus off to the side, added a small mound of perfectly cooked rice and then layed out a few of the patties topped off with the veggie mixture. Pour on some of the sauce and dinner is ready.

One more thing about this dish. It’s quick. Really quick. It came together in the time it took to make some rice. It just gets better and better, doesn’t it? What are you waiting for then? Get your Ecsabeche on tonight!

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Well friends, here we are at the doorstep of Spring when colorful eggs lay hidden in yards and children run about like little freaks searching them out.

So I ask…you spend the extra cash to buy organic eggs, so why not dye them organically?

Back in the olden days of Persia, people would give each other dyed eggs as a symbol of springs arrival and rebirth. With that said, we know that Paas Color Kits were not around. So, what did they use to dye the eggs?

Easy. The foods they ate and the spices they coveted.

This idea prompted me to go to the market and buy what I thought would dye eggs naturally. Beets, of course, were the first on the list. I was on my own for the rest and I have to say it was fun picking out what I hypothesized might work.

I did the standard boiling of the eggs first, then boiled the various produce with a tablespoon of vinegar to add for good measure. Next, I added the hard boiled eggs completely submerging them in the hot liquid. I let them soak for about 15 minutes until I achieved the color I desired.

Below is my organic produce and spice experiments. Give me a shout back if you know of other ingredients that you have used.

Oh yeah, the stripes on the eggs were created by using rubber bands wrapped around the eggs. This gave the eggs a super cool geometric look although a few of the bands popped from the heat.

This would be a great activity with the kids for sure!

Red Beets, a no-brainer, gave the eggs a pale pink hue.

Blueberries gave the eggs a pale, vintage blue color.

Red Onion and Purple Cabbage were combined to make a greenish brown, then I used a red crayon to make designs.

Spinach gave these eggs a very pale green…Martha would have loved these.

Turmeric and Yellow Beets made the most vibrant color in vivid yellow.

Rubber bands around the eggs.

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