I don't care which came first, I'm just glad we have eggs. I love eggs and while I have suffered through the dismal pallor of conventionally raised eggs, I feel blessed that I have a steady supply of "good eggs." I buy the same eggs from Mark and Catherine Anderson at Champoeg Farm that our lucky Grand Central customers enjoy on all of our breakfast sandwiches at the bakery.
My mother spoiled us on farm-fresh eggs. I cannot remember a time when we did not have chickens. When we introduced the first egg sandwich to the Grand Central line-up, finding eggs from pasture-raised, free-roaming chickens was a priority. Eggs from happy chickens that live on grass and eat a diverse diet are magic. If you doubt this, just check out the yolk... bright yellow, sometimes orange. There is a debate in our family whether the intense color is the result of eating the carotene in green grass, or bugs. Whatever the reason, you can rest assured that Champoeg Farm chickens get their fill of both.
Poached eggs on a buttery slice of toasted Como are delicious, and so are creamy scrambled eggs piled onto thick slices of toasted peasant loaf. When you eat a pasture-raised egg you know it, but is it worth cooking and baking with these gems? Yes! Any custard, cake, or soufflé will improve when made with made with a "good egg."
My brother Ben feeds his three kids crêpes several times a week and he shared all of his crepe-making secrets with us for our book — the top priority is to start with a good egg. The color and texture of these crêpes is just perfect and they are suitable for sweet or savory applications. I'm having them for breakfast with powdered sugar and lemon.