My Current Obsession: Greek Yogurt!

I recently started a food buying club at our church, and I've already found it to be worth it.

One of the ladies there ordered some Greek Yogurt, and I decided to give it a try. I wasn't sure if about it at first, because I'm a big fan of Stonyfield Farm's Whole Milk Yogurt, but I was willing to give it a shot after my friend's glowing review.

She had described it as almost like the kind of yogurt you get when you strain plain yogurt through a cheesecloth. She was right, but the taste of the plain Greek yogurt is more like tangy sour cream. As a matter of fact, that's how I've been using the plain--like sour cream. We've used it for dipping homemade potato chips, for a replacement for sour cream in cheesecakes, in muffin recipes, and every morning in our scrambled eggs.

For years, I've made scrambled eggs with a couple dollops of sour cream added during the beating process. Last week, I decided to give the Greek yogurt a shot, and the recipe got rave reviews. It adds just a hint of tang and creaminess to the eggs, but the most important thing is that it makes the eggs light and fluffy, and they retain the moisture and warmth much longer.

Here's how it's done...

Scrambled Eggs with Greek Yogurt

6 farm-fresh free-range eggs (if you can get them)
a handful of garden-fresh chives, chopped
2 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt (the brand I've been using is The Greek Gods)
A dash of salt
A dash of pepper

Beat the eggs, and then add the chives, yogurt, salt and pepper. You can also toss in just a smidgen (maybe 2 teaspoons) of fresh chopped tarragon.

Heat a cast-iron skillet (or other skillet) and melt a tablespoon of butter, swirling it around to cover the bottom of the pan.

Pour the eggs into the pan and cook over medium heat, scraping the bottom of the pan to make sure the eggs don't stick.

Cook until the eggs are all soft and fluffy.

Serve immediately with English muffins or toast.

You can add the greek yogurt to your other egg dishes, too, like fritattas or omelets.

Give it a try and let me know what you think!

Asparagus-Mint Frittata

Andrea's Recipes is featuring a food blogging event that celebrates the foods we grow or raise ourselves and the dishes we make using our homegrown products called Grow Your Own. I'm submitting this recipe, the Asparagus-Mint Frittata, which comes from Cook's Illustrated's Best Recipes cookbook. The asparagus, parsley and mint came from my own garden, and the eggs came from my friends, the Stockdales, who raise much of their own foods, including the free-range eggs I used in my recipe.

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Asparagus-Mint Frittata

Blanch the asparagus pieces in salted boiling water for about 2 minutes. Drain and set aside.

2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium shallot, minced
1 tablespoon fresh mint leaves
2 tablespoons fresh parsley leaves
1/3 pound fresh asparagus, tough ends snapped off, cut into 1 inch pieces
5 tablespoons freshly-grated parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
6 large free-range eggs, lightly beaten

Set oven to 350 degrees F.
Heat the oil in a 10" skillet over medium heat, swirling to cover bottom and sides.
Add the shallot and saute until softened, 3-4 minutes.
Add the mint, parsley and asparagus and toss to coat.
Spread asparagus in a single layer.
Beat 3 tablespoons of the parmesan into the eggs, and add the salt and pepper.
Pour the egg mixture into the skillet and stir lightly with a fork until the eggs start to set.
Once the bottom is firm, use a think plastic spatula to lift the frittata edge closest to you, then tilt the pan towards you to let the uncoooked egg run underneath. Level the skillet and redistribute the egg. Cook for about 40 seconds, then repeat the lifting/redistributing procedure until there is no more runny egg.
Sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons of parmesan on top.
Pop the skillet in the oven and bake until the top is set and dry to the touch, 2-4 minutes.
Invert onto a serving plate and serve warm, at room temp, or chilled.

Vanilla Ice Cream

We've tried a lot of vanilla ice cream recipes and certainly none of them have ever been rejected, but once we'd tasted this recipe, we realized we'd never need another. This recipe comes from The New Best Recipe book from the people from Cook's Illustrated, and it's a custard-style ice cream, which means it's made with lots of egg yolks. So if you're in the country and have access to fresh, free-range eggs (and there is a difference, believe me) and raw milk, this recipe is the way to go. We use a hand-crank ice cream freezer because we like for everyone to earn their ice cream, but the same outcome can be had with an electric ice-cream freezer.

1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
3/4 cup sugar
1 vanilla bean, split in half and scraped out, or 2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract
4 large egg yolks

Fill a sink or large bowl with ice-water and have a strainer ready over another large bowl that will fit inside the sink or large bowl. Heat the milk, cream, 1/2 cup of the sugar and the vanilla seeds and pod (if you're not using a vanilla bean, wait until later to add the extract) in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring to bread up the vanilla seeds, until steam appears and the milk is warm, about 175 degrees, which takes around five minutes. Do not boil the milk.

Meanwhile, whisk the yolks and remaining 1/4 cup sugar in a medium bowl until combined and pale yellow. Whisk half the warm milk mixture into the beaten yolks, 1/2 cup at a time, until combined. Whisk the milk-yolk mixture into the warm milk in the saucepan over medium heat amd cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until steam appears, foam subsides and the mixture is slightly thickened or measure 180-180 degrees. Do not boil or eggs will curdle. Immediate strain the mixture into the bowl you have ready and set it in the ice-water bath. Cool and stir until it comes to room temperature. Cover, refrigerate, and chill until it gets down to 40 degrees, 3-24 hours.

Remove and discard vanilla pod. If you're not using a vanilla bean, add the vanilla extract now and stir well. Pour the custard into the ice-cream freezer and churn following the manufacturer's instructions. Transfer to an airtight container and freeze until solid, at least a few hours, depending on the freezer. We usually wait until the next day to serve it. It will keep up to two days.