Have you ever had a "farm fresh" egg? Before today I wold have answered "yes," because the organic, free-range eggs I purchase clearly state: FARM FRESH right on the package. Yes, I am a sucker for what's printed on a package of food I consume, because it's in the great hope that what I find inside will indeed be a myriad of things pertinent to my survival that the package promises. Silly little words like
gluten-free,
pesticide-free, and
organic are all on the roster. I really thought I was eating the "best" I could.
Enter
Rico Locals, locally grown Utah food brought to a convenient, downtown center. Shug brought home some "farm-fresh" eggs a few days ago and, thinking they were like allllll the other "farm-fresh" eggs we've consumed in the past, they sat in my fridge for a few days.
This morning, with a very welcome unexpected day off, I indulged myself in an omelette. After the first egg was cracked I knew something was up. The bright, vibrant hue of the yolk practically blinded me! I have always thought egg yolks were yellow...that's how they're depicted in cartoons, pictures, and in my mixing bowl. These yolks were ORANGE. Glaring, healthy, sunny, ORANGE. The first rational thought that popped into my head was, "They must have gone bad. Egg yolks are
never this color."
I cracked egg number two. SAME THING! I decided to crack a third and if all three were this alien-orange color, I'd give it the good ol' college try and eat them. Sure enough, the third egg was just as loud of an orange hue as the previous two. Into the pan they went.
As the eggs cooked, instead of opaquing into a soft buttery yellow, they morphed into a rich golden saffron color. I was really getting freaked out. What if I poisoned myself?!? What if they had already gone bad?!? What if all of the eggs I've consumed in my life were just "blah" and these eggs were "bang"!?!?! EXISTENTIAL CRISIS.
The eggs sizzled sweetly in their pan as the sun through the window caught the wafts of steam curling up from the stovetop. I plated the eggs, gave them the holy trinity of egg dressing: freshly cracked black pepper, ketchup, and
Cholula. I readied myself for the worst.
Words cannot describe how lovely and perfect these eggs were. They were rich, flavorful, and delicious and I am sad to say I have NEVER tasted an egg like this. In 27 seconds my newly found love was gone. I hadn't the strength to savor them.
But, I'm planning on omelettes for lunch and dinner.
