nevada city. ca

seven minute egg

what’s better than creamy, lava like egg yolk?

in my opinion, nothing. it’s gold worthy. in the dark ages i would have bartered egg yolk wrapped in paper packages for all sorts of delicious and worthy trade.

i bring you a famous small wonder. the 7 minute egg. it’s the perfect medium boiled egg. and it’s really quite simple. if you have chickens, great! fresh eggs are best. you want room temperature eggs or at least not super cold eggs. if you only have fridge cold eggs and are in rush, before doing anything put them in some above room temperature water in a bowl.

according to how many eggs you want to make fill a small saucepan w/ filtered water and bring to a boil.

once boiling, use a slotted spoon or strainer to gently drop eggs (shell on) into water, right before you drop the first egg start a timer for 7 minutes. USE A TIMER. you don’t want to overcook these gems.

starting in a clockwise fashion, drop the first egg in and then quickly the rest. once the last egg is in, notice how much time has lapsed. and add that to the final cooking time (usually only 5 – 20 seconds).

while the eggs are cooking to perfection. get an ice/water bath ready in a bowl large enough to fit all desired eggs.

once the timer goes off, in the same order that you dropped them in, put your eggs in the ice/water bath, usually it will take the same time to pull them out as it did to put them in (i.e. a perfect 7 minute egg).

let them sit for 1 minute and then pull them out and dry them w/ a clean dry kitchen towel.  they will be good at room temperature for several hours or in the fridge for up to 7 days.  i like to eat them at room temperature. they will peel easily, cut them with a sharp knife and add a little salt and pepper. enjoy.

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skillet (gluten free) cornbread w/ creamed corn

creamed corn

Ingredients

  • 6 TBSP butter, melted + 1 TBSP for buttering cast iron
  • 3 Cups frozen corn
  • 2/3 cup water
  • 2 teaspoons unsalted butter
  • 1/3 C heavy cream
  • 3/4 teaspoon gf all purpose flour

bring frozen corn, the water, butter and s/p to taste to a simmer, until corn is warm throughout.  in a small saucepan whisk the flour & cream together, boil over medium heat, uncovered, stirring constantly, 1 minute.  Carefully transfer cream mixture to 2/3 C of the corn w/ some of the cooking liquid to a blender and puree or use a hand mixer.  Stir puree into corn and simmer 5 minutes.
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Season w/ salt & pepper.
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 Cast Iron Gluten Free Corn Bread w/ Creamed Corn

makes 2 9″ cast iron skillet rounds

Ingredients

  • 6 TBSP butter, melted + 1 TBSP for buttering cast iron
  • 1 1/2 cups yellow cornmeal
  • 1 1/2 cups gluten free all-purpose flour,  (I use Bob’s Red Mill GF All Purpose Mix)
  • 1/4 cup organic sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 2.5 teaspoons salt
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups low-fat buttermilk
  • 1 cup creamed corn (recipe above)
  • scallions or chives, to garnish

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Turn the cast iron pan on low and butter with 1 tablespoon of butter.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, buttermilk, & creamed corn; whisk in 6 TBSP melted butter.

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  • Stir cornmeal mixture into buttermilk mixture just until moistened. (Do not overmix.)

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  • Right before you pour mixture into prepared pan, turn up the heat on the cast iron to med-high.

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  • Pour 1/2 the batter into prepared skillet, once you see the perimeter bubble and start to pull from the side, carefully put the skillet in the oven w/ a pot holder.  bake until golden and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 12-16 minutes. Let cool in skillet a few minutes before inverting and slicing.

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nothing’s better

than butter. and that’s why you should make it. yourself.

creamy. grassy. raw. cultured butter.

it’s soft. it’s good on everything. once you learn the basics you will want to play with the recipe, add a little more salt. a little less salt. pick a different yogurt to culture it with, add some herbs, whatever you choose. butter makes it better.

  • 1 pint raw cream
  • 3 tablespoons good quality sheep’s yogurt
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  1. to make the butter you simply add the cream to a good size bowl with high walls, whisk it a bit.
  2. secondly, add the yogurt to the cream w/ the salt and again whisk a bit. let sit in a warm area for 8 hours or over night to culture.
  3. post culturing, put the ingredients in a mixer fitted w/ a paddle and start to beat the butter.  once you have a lump of butter in a pool of buttermilk. shift the lump in a colander. save the buttermilk! (use for biscuits, pancakes, tea breads, or just drink and fall in love).
  4. flatten the butter lump and chill for 30 min.
  5. knead it under water in a bowl, removing the trapped pockets of buttermilk in the butter. it will sour the butter. let it dry out a bit. put it in a butter keeper or wrap it in parchment and refrigerate.
  6. voila! you have the uttermost delicious butter & buttermilk ready for countless adventures, you will never want to go back to store bought.

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ingredients

being that my experience spans from over 9 years of san francisco life, a year abroad in Florence, Italia & a family culture rich in food memories, 3 years of cooking at an organic open kitchen market w/ a daily menu, thoughtful ingredients are at the forefront of my cuisine.  Local Nevada County farms have an abundant array of fresh, organic, whole foods that are unparalleled to buying produce shipped in from Chile, Mexico & Argentina.  Abundance is a key word here.  I will make you whatever you desire, but please be willing to trust my eye, I canoodle every potato, smell each bunch of lemon thyme, size up each blessed little chicken & taste everything I possibly can before buying your ingredients.  I enjoy planning menus at the farmer’s market, the fish market, the local butcher or simply your favorite market, letting these wondrous ingredients speak for themselves.

Let’s go on an adventure together, I promise it will be fun.a marin sun farms beauty