French Toast!

Is anyone else listening to Julie Nesrallah on CBC in the morning? I LOVE her speaking voice. She always sounds like she is only just waking up (that's when I sound my sexiest for sure). And so I turn to breakfast. We have had some amazing breakfasts, particularly after a Saturday visit to the West End farmers' market www.eatlocal.org.

One of the main reasons I go to the market is to purchase eggs from the folks at ForstbauerNatural Food Farm. They are a biodynamic operation, biodynamics being one of the first organic systems approach models http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biodynamic_agriculture, and their chickens are free range. This brings me to a point of contention: free range versus free run. Gabriel pointed out the other day that the "Happy Chicken" I was buying was perhaps not as gay as I had thought. I noticed that the terms free run and free range are also used in egg production, and so I have done a little research into eggs. Here is what the Alberta Egg Producers' website has to say about the difference:>"They are not the same. Free-range eggs are those from hens who have access to nesting boxes, open floor space, perches and outdoor runs. Free run eggs, on the other hand, are from hens allowed to roam freely in an enclosed facility (barn). Producers have more work because egg safety and quality is more challenging to manage in both these situations since eggs can come in contact with droppings and dirt, as well as can be laid in many places making quick egg collection a challenge. The nutrient content of these eggs is no different than the nutrient content of eggs of hens raised in conventional cage housing systems."

http://www.eggs.ab.ca/about/types_of_eggs.htm

I also have the following link for you to a Vancouver Humane Society website

 http://www.chickenout.ca/ which does a great job of explaining the lives of battery hens, and 

how to determine which eggs are farmed humanely. Animal products which are certified organic by a recognized certification board are treated to certain standards of care which many people believe are more respectful of a bird's natural behaviour and needs. The standard egg bought in the grocery store comes from a battery hen, who after having her beak trimmed off, lives her life in a 1x1 foot cage with one other lady friend. At chickenout, they have lots of pictures from factory farms which are meeting industry and health standards but still seem quite appalling to me.

Until recently I felt like we couldn't afford to pay an extra $2-3 a carton because we are students, and we have to make as many marginal cuts to costs as possible. Then I visited the UBC farm and met the Grand Dames of the operation; the Agassiz Cross.  Wish I could find you a picture of the fine ladies who lovingly pecked at my rubber boots. These chickens are an experimental breed,

developed to survive the Vancouver winter outdoors, and are a cross between the Rhode Island Red 

and the Plymouth Barred Rock. which has the high laying capacity of those normally used in organic egg farming, BUT has the ability to live in the outdoors through the Vancouver winter. LohmannBrowns and Bovans Browns are among the favourites of organic farmers because of the high egg production but these breeds don't over winter very well and either have to be brought indoors or live a shorter life. The Agassiz Cross is living to around six years old and doing a great job of helping the UBC Farm tame its wire-worm problem.

Anyhow, I loved those birds and they loved my boots, and now I am a different kind of egg consumer. I hope that wasn't too rant-y. French toast anyone?

3 eggs

1/4 c milk

1 tsp vanilla

dash salt

2 thick slices of bread (I used Terra Breads' Cranberry Pistachio Loaf)

brown sugar

1 apple halved, cored, sliced

Heat pan on med-low. In flat bottomed dish, beat eggs, milk, vanilla and salt until uniform in colour and a bit frothy. Soak bread in egg mixture a minute each side, make sure to coat edges. Brush pan with canola, corn or other so-called flavourless cooking oil (ie; not olive oil), add bread to pan and reduce heat to the higher side of low. Check often, once brown on one side, flip. When done, spread brown sugar on the hot side of the toast, and arrange apples on top.