Nina's Uptown Girls!

There's nothing like a fresh, local egg that has been produced by chickens you have actually met. I grew up on these kinds of eggs as a child in Cyprus. But, ever since I came to New York I had relied on store-bought eggs.  

 Until I met Nina! For the past six years or so I have been buying Nina's eggs, laid by her "girls"! Nina lives on the other side of town and has been keeping two sets of chickens, in two chicken coops. One in the lower part of her property and the other at the top. Hence "uptown girls".

 When I need eggs I simply drive over to Nina's Red Barn Farm and walk inside the barn. The freshly laid eggs are set in a fridge and you buy them with the old fashioned honor system. The price is posted, you get your eggs, leave the money in the box and off you go to make an omelet!

I always go around the side and visit with the girls who are busy pecking away either inside the coop or outside in the fenced off yard. There are red feathered girls and, my favorite, the araucana chickens who have a black and white plume and lay light blue or light green eggs. The rooster is of course forever chasing the girls doing his part to make those eggs. 

You have seen Nina's eggs in many of my posts and there they are frying up sunny side up. The yolks are bright yellow, firm and large. The whites are clear and firm. These are the tastiest eggs ever!

When you have a choice, always go for local, homegrown eggs. And don't forget to say hello to the girls!

Enjoy!

Maria

Saronida Restaurant-Cooking with Angeliki and Stavros in Greece

Yum!Stuffed peppers and tomatoes

Eggplant stuffed with meat sauce, béchamel sauce and topped with grated cheese. Yum!

 

One of my favorite places to have dinner in Saronida, Greece is the Saronida Restaurant of Mr. Stavros and his wife, Angeliki. It's down home Greek cooking at its best! I've always wanted to visit their kitchen and witness the culinary alchemy that produces succulent, flavorful dishes but had never had the chance until recently.

Stavros and Angeliki welcomed me smiling into their spotless kitchen, even though they were in the process of cooking for the evening's crowd.

I was impressed by the freshness and quality of their ingredients and the pride which they take in cooking traditional Greek recipes with locally grown products. They only use olive oil for cooking, grown in their own groves and pressed in the local Messinia olive press. The meats are always Greek, the eggs come from their own chickens and the rooster stewed in wine is also from their own flock. The olives are cured by them and the quince preserves served over Greek yogurt are made by Angeliki from quince grown in her yard in her hometown, Drakoneri, Messinia.

Angeliki's Quince Preserves

eggs from their own chickens!

 

I'm impressed by the amount of work involved and by Stavros' and Angeliki's good nature despite the heat in the kitchen and the preparation. They are not new to this business, they've been at it for 24 years, since they moved upstairs from the restaurant with their young children. Those were hard years but with a philosophy of cooking simply good dishes using only the best ingredients they've built a loyal clientele that dines there night after night.

There's nothing like sitting in their large courtyard under the stars and dining on specialties like roasted lamb, stuffed peppers, Greek salads, feta cheese and pints of ice cold draft beer.

Next time you're thinking about where to go on vacation you should consider Saronida, in Attiki. It has one of the most wonderful beaches and that might be reason enough, yet Saronida Restaurant's culinary feasts are a reason to visit in and of itself!

Enjoy!

Maria