Fresh eggs an essential part of holiday baking

Get out the baking pans, because the holidays are closing in.

Thanksgiving is around the corner with pies, breads, cookies and other treats to prepare for family and friends on the big feast day. You’ll need farm-fresh apples, pears and other farmers market ingredients like nuts and dried fruits.
Without a doubt, eggs are a must-have ingredient. Lots and lots of eggs. And you won’t find fresher eggs than at Great Valley Poultry, which comes to the Concord farmers market from Manteca.

Stop by their booth and you’ll see stacks of cartons filled with white, blue and brown eggs, gathered that morning and brought straight to the market. George Jenkins and his family own Great Valley Poultry and have been raising chickens and providing fresh eggs to the local community since 1967. Since 1995, the farm has been cage-free and certified organic.

Dana and Arney Corbin, Jenkins’ daughter and son-in-law, now operate the farm. Their son, Denton, is attending college and studying poultry science. This fourth-generation farming family still believes in the need to treat their poultry humanely and sustainably, with as little waste as possible on the farm.

They maintain small numbers of birds in each flock, allowing them to wander and enjoy the fresh air. The birds have 24-hour access to some of the finest pasture in the San Joaquin Valley, and they eat organic feed free of GMOs (genetically modified organisms). The nutritious corn blend feed provides for a great tasting and nutritious egg.
The farm is certified humane through Humane Farm Animal Care. “Our No. 1 priority is to keep all of our chickens happy and healthy,” says Dana Corbin.

They sell their fabulous eggs directly from farm to customer at the Concord Farmers Market. You can tell the family truly enjoys what they do since they love to talk about their eggs and chickens to customers. Their in-house quality assurance program provides you with healthy and delicious eggs.

Stock up on fresh eggs now and get cooking. Here’s a traditional holiday hors d’oeuvre recipe to help get you started.

Old-fashioned Deviled Eggs

1 dozen eggs
2/3 to ¾ c. mayonnaise or salad dressing, enough to hold mixture together
2 tsp. yellow mustard
2-3 T sweet pickle relish, to taste
Salt and pepper, to taste
Paprika for garnish

Hard-boil eggs, let cool. Cut eggs lengthwise in half and slip yolks out into a bowl. Mash yolks with fork until crumbled small.

Stir in mayonnaise, mustard, relish, salt and pepper. Fill egg whites with yolk mixture, heaping it lightly. Sprinkle with paprika. Cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours.
Recipe: PCFMA staff.

For more on the Pacific Coast Farmers Market, go to pcfma.org