Happy little chickens, happy little eggs

I'm not convinced that organic and natural foods are always better. Local is nearly always better, but sometimes organic doesn't necessarily equal quality. At its best, the word "organic" signifies that the product was loved and nurtured, cared for rather than doused in chemicals. At its worst, a zucchini is a zucchini is a zucchini, unless it's an organic zucchini, then its a zucchini that cost six dollars.

But when it comes to eggs, I'm absolutely convinced. I buy the fussiest eggs I can get my hands on. I like them cage-free, organic, antibiotic-free, fresh, local, and fed an all vegetarian diet. My reasons for this are entirely selfish. Sure, I guess I'm glad that the chickens that laid my eggs weren't confined to cages, but their chickeny happiness is not my main motivation. I like fancy eggs because they look and taste so much better. I guess that pampered chickens lay eggs that pamper me. Lately, I've been buying Rock Island eggs, produced just up coast in Sonoma.

The yolks are a beautiful, bright orange that makes cakes, custards, and mayonnaise equally richly tinted. They fry, scramble, and most especially poach better. They taste fantastic. I'm sure the freshness is a big part of why they're so good. Perhaps if I could get my hands on industrial eggs this fresh they'd taste every bit as good, but I guess I'll never know. For now, even if my zucchini are average, my eggs will always be fantastic, and yes, even organic.