Spring and her guests.

Spring is my most favorite season. The season that touches all my senses. Cool mornings and afternoons filled with the warmth of the sun on your face. I love waking up early on Spring mornings at the farm in Bucks County to see what surprises the morning has brought. Before the kids get up I often go on short solitary walks around the planted gardens to see the hostas pushing up through the earth, the bearded iris getting ready to bloom and the early blooming hellebores, as well as the early season wildflowers. I also look forward to the early season vegetables to which Spring treats us. Spring onions are one of my favorites and I have never met an allium I did not like either in my garden or on my plate and spring onions are no exception. Spring onions have larger bulbs than scallions and pack a stronger flavor.

This Sunday morning I decided to add roasted spring onions to our morning egg dish of Knothole eggs. Knothole eggs or sometimes referred to as eggs in a basket or hen in a nest is a simple dish with an egg cooked in a hole of a piece of bread. Eggs were the only dish to serve after the game of egg russian roulette played the day before.

Lila had a friend from the city join us for the weekend and on Saturday along with a barn friend and Juliette we went to see Pitch Perfect 2. Getting my kids to see a movie in an actual theater and not on their laptops is considered a minor parenting triumph in my book. On the ride home I mentioned that Anna Kendrick was on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon promoting the movie earlier in the week. She was challenged to a game of egg russian roulette and before I could describe the game they each had their phones out searching for the clip. Laughing they asked if they could play the game when we got home. Since we seem to have an endless supply of eggs from our chickens, I sent the girls to the coop to get 18 eggs. I boiled 12, kept 6 raw and placed them in random order back in their cartons. Each girl, one at a time, would choose one egg and break it on their head, the first to break 2 raw eggs lost and it continued until we had a winner. The nervous laughter, squealing and screaming was priceless and in the end there were only winners and after a shower very shiny silky hair.

Knothole eggs are a morning staple for us and most of the time my kids like them plain. You can add what ever seasonal vegetable is available or from the leftover vegetable from the evening meal the night before.

Eggs In a Basket with Roasted Spring Onions

4 eggs
4 thick slices of bread
4 tablespoons butter
2 bunches spring onions
2 tablespoons olive oil
pinch of salt

Roasted Spring Onions

Fill a large bowl with cold water, then place your spring onions in the water. Swish them around to remove as much dirt as possible, then remove them from the bowl and give them a second rinse under running water to remove any remaining grit. Place the onions on a dry paper towel and pat out as much water as possible.
Preheat oven to 400 F
Clean the spring onions by trimming the greens and removing the roots of each stalk.
Place spring onions in a shallow dish and lightly coat with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Roast until tender 30-35 minutes.
This can be done in advance since spring onions will be reheated when cooked with the eggs.

Eggs In a Basket

Place a round cookie cutter in center of bread and cut out hole. Save the cut out bread to use for additional toast with breakfast or to add as a hat on top of the eggs.
In a heavy bottomed skillet heat 1 tablespoon of butter over medium-high heat. Lower to medium heat and place bread in skillet and let toast for 30 seconds.
Flip bread over and add butter 1 tablespoon at a time as necessary. Crack egg into hole. I like to place the cookie cutter in the hole before cracking the egg and then removing after a few seconds allowing egg to set. This keeps egg from running under the bread.
Cook for 3 minutes but do not fully cook egg.
Add sauteed spring onions in the hole on top of the egg.
carefully flip bread over to continue cooking. Again add butter as needed. Honestly, you cannot add too much butter. Cook for 2 minutes or longer depending on how you like your yolk. Be careful not let the bread burn. I prefer the yolk to be runny which adds tremendous flavor to the bread and onions.
Salt and pepper to taste.
You can also toast the cut out holes and serve on the side or place back on egg like a hat.