I am not old enough (HA!) to remember the time when real eggs were commonly available. My mother tells me that they would be delivered with the milk in the early morning, just a half dozen at a time. They were served fried for breakfast or boiled for tea and served with ‘soldiers’, -strips of toast for dipping.
The eggs we commonly buy now are produced by hens that literally do not see the light of day. Even cage free hens do not necessarily have access to the outdoors. Many producers use questionable feed, with cost of egg production rather than egg quality being the overriding consideration.

I have just found real eggs!
While I was looking around the Gourmet Market on Forest Drive, I found some eggs in the refrigerated case. The picture of the chicken, -from Mystic Acres in Centreville, - on the front of the box was enough to persuade me to give them a try. First I cooked an omelet, it was delicious with a depth of flavor that I had not had from eggs before. I have been used to buying cage free eggs, but these taste so much better. They are produced by chickens that live outdoors and can forage for food. Eggs are a wonderfully convenient food, ready portioned and waiting in the fridge for just one person or a whole family.
Below are a couple of ways I have used my new find so far, I am hooked.

Classic Omelet -serves 1

2 eggs
½ tablespoon butter
½ cup sautéed mushrooms or another filling of your choice

Break the eggs into a bowl and beat lightly adding a pinch of salt and a couple of grinds of black pepper
Heat a small sauté pan over medium heat, toss in the butter and swirl it round the pan until sizzling.
Pour the eggs into the pan and allow them to set around the edges then, with a fork, pull the set eggs towards the center of the pan allowing the liquid part to run onto the empty side. As soon as all the egg has set but whilst it is still very soft, add a filling if you want to, mushrooms, ham and grated cheese or just chopped herbs are all good. Fold the omelet in half and serve immediately.

Oriental Eggs and Bacon -serves 4

1 small Savoy cabbage
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 rashers bacon, sliced into ¼ inch shreds
4 cloves garlic
1 red jalapeno chili, sliced fine
An inch long piece of ginger, peeled and sliced into small matchsticks
1 star anise, broken up
1 tablespoon soy sauce
8 eggs

Cut the cabbage into quarters, cut out and discard the core and slice the remains thinly.
In a large wok or frying pan, heat the oil, bacon shreds and garlic over a medium heat until the bacon has melted a bit, three or four minutes.
Toss in the chili, ginger and star anise and stir fry for about 5 minutes. The aim is to add flavor to the oil in which the cabbage will be cooked.
Raise the heat to high and add the cabbage. Stir fry, tossing frequently, until the cabbage is wilted but still has some crunch, about 5 minutes. Pour in the soy sauce and toss again.
Turn off the heat and set aside while you cook the eggs.
Poach or fry the eggs, -your choice, and serve them on a mound of cabbage with a grind of pepper.
Vegetarians can omit the bacon and change the name.

Eggs from Mystic Acres are also available at Wild Orchid in Eastport, except there you don’t have to cook them yourself.