Olive Pasta Frittata

250g spaghetti
2 tablespoons Gwydir Grove Extra Virgin
Olive Oil
1 red onion halved and sliced
1 clove of garlic crushed
3/4 cup semi-dried tomatoes chopped roughly
3/4 cup Gwydir Grove Manzanillo or Kalmata
Olives pitted and quartered lengthways
100 g of fetta crumbled
1/4 basil shredded
1 cup finely grated parmesan
8 eggs

Cook the spagetti according to the instructions. Drain and rinse with cold water and set aside.In an oven proof frying pan, heat the oil and add the onion and garlic and cook until the onion softens.

In a bowl combine the remaining ingredients and mix well. Add to the onions and garlic and arrange the ingredients evenly in the pan. Whisk the eggs and pour evenly over the pasta mixture.Cook until the eggs set, then place the pan under a preheated grill and cook until golden.

Serve wedges of the frittata with a green salad dressed with Gwydir Grove Extra Virgin Olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

For more olive recipes check out those on the Gwydir Grove website

Image: "olives" by SchlonitMessica

Free Range Eggs

It shouldn't be a hard question - what is a free range egg? Most people would imagine chickens running around grassed paddocks, scratching up worms and .... well being chickens and that is what they pay for when they buy eggs labelled as free range. But things are not that simple.

Phil Westwood from Freeranger Eggs in Grantville, Victoria helps us understand what are the current definitions as well as discussing the proposed changes.

For more information check out the Free Range Farmers Association. Choice also has a great article that is worth a read. And you can keep right up to date by checking out the ACCC.

So, what can consumers do?
1) Look for credible accreditation - the term "free range" is not representative of consumers expectations, if you are thinking you chooks live like those in the picture. Check if your eggs are supplied from an accredited free range farm, or Humane Choice approved or a similar branding. At the moment most farms selling pastured eggs (as opposed to 'free range'), are accurately branded but there is no certification process.
2) Visit your farmer - ring up and ask to come and meet the chooks. All farms have some biological hazard procedures (such as washing boots, or not getting in the paddocks with the animals) but if your farmer continually says no to a visit, then maybe you need to think about what they are trying to hide.
3) Contact your members of parliament. The time for comment in this round has closed but it shouldn't be taken off the agenda - and whether this is an animal welfare issue for you, or just truth in labeling - we need legislative clarification.
4) Let your wallet do the walking. While the pollies and the egg industry are sorting out the bits and pieces be aware that your consumer buying power is speaking for you - spend your money on a brand of eggs that represents your stand on the issue, whatever that stand is.

Image from Freeranger Eggs

Hints and Tips - Eggs

Todays H&T is all about eggs

1. Eggs are beautifully ovoid and delicately shaded in whites and creams but despite their beauty they shouldn’t be stored on public display – they should be stored in the fridge.

2. Refrigerate eggs in the carton – the shells are porous and can absorb flavors and ordors from the kitchen – but the cartons keep them safe.

3. If you collect eggs from your own chooks, never wash them – once they have become wet they are even more porous – allowing smells and bacteria to permeate the egg. Instead, lightly brush them with some steel wool to remove and droppings, dirt or other mess.

4. When cooking, unless the recipe states otherwise, always use eggs that have been removed from the fridge and allowed to return to room temperature. It takes about 30 minutes for an egg to come to room temperature. If you are short of time – and going to use the egg straight away, you can rest it in some warm (not hot) water.

5. When beating egg whites, use a stainless steel, glass or ceramic bowl and make sure it is scrupulously clean from any residue fatty deposits. If there is any risk it might not have been washed properly, wipe out the bowl with some white vinegar on a paper cloth and allow to dry before using.

6. Don’t let beaten eggs sit while you complete other stages of a recipe – use them immediately.

7. To check the freshness of an egg drop them into a tall glass of water – the lower the air sits in the glass the fresher it is. Each egg has a small air sack and this expands the older the egg – which is why they begin to float as they age.

8. Older eggs are easier to peel than really fresh eggs.

9. When beating eggs a soft peak is achieved when you lift up the beater (after turning it off) and a peak forms and then gently falls over. A stiff peak has been achieved if the little peak stays standing up.

10. If you crack an egg and find a bit of shell has broken off, use the remaining shell as a scoop – it appears to attract any random bits whereas they run away from cutlery and fingers.

Basic egg recipes: boiled egg, fried egg, omelette, pavlova, frittata, mayonnaise, meringue, devilled eggs, egg salad, quiche, egg nests, scrambled eggs, poached eggs,  scotch eggs, French toast (eggy bread), custard, baked egg, huevos rancheros. Check out the recipe links on the left hand side for more recipe ideas or share your own recipes as a comment.

And for something completely random - if you are cooking with emu eggs, 1 emu egg is equivalent to about 9 chicken eggs :-)