CORPUS CHRISTI PRODUCE CO.
June 2008 Newsletter
Margaret Jataine, President/CEO
238 N. Port Ave, Corpus Christi, Texas78408 (361)884-4025
Oh my gosh, June is here!Kids are out of school and Father’s Day is just a couple of weeks away. While Dads everywhere take a little break on their special day, why don’t we take a very small break from fruits and vegetables this month and talk about another “produce” we love – EGGS!! That’s right, eggs are an agricultural product that we provide to companies throughout the year. They taste great, are extremely versatile, can be used in thousands of recipes, and are good for you!
Most commercially produced chicken eggs for human use are unfertilized, since the laying hens are kept without roosters. But even eggs from hens grown on local farms where the rooster is around to fertilize the eggs are just fine to eat. The embryo won’t grow once the egg is regrigerated.
Chicken eggs are used in many types of dishes. Eggs are the main course in some meals, they enhance many others, and are frequently used in many deserts and drinks. Eggs can be pickled, hard-boiled, scrambled, fried and refrigerated, poached, and blended into many other foods and baked. They can also be eaten raw, though this is not recommended for people who may be especially susceptible to salmonella, such as elderly, sick, or pregnant women. As a side note – the protein available from an egg for the human body is just over 51% in a raw egg and jumps to over 90% in a cooked egg. The egg protein becomes more absorbable when it is cooked!
Egg yolks are an l emulsifier in the kitchen. Mostly in dressings, sauces and custards. The proteins in eggs whitesprovide the bonding materials from which we build meringues, soufflés, mousses and angle food cakes.
Did you know that soft-boiled quail eggsare considered a delicacy in many countries. They are used raw or cooked as tamago in sushi. In Colombia, quail eggs are considered less exotic than in other countries, and a single hard-boiled quail egg is a common topping on hot dogs and hamburgers.
Little tidbits about the egg:
*A boiled egg can be distinguished from a raw egg without breaking the shell by spinning it.
*The albumen, or egg white contains protein but little or no fat. It is frequently used in cooking separately from the yolk, and can be aerated or whipped to a light, fluffy consistency.
*The albumen is the healthiest bit of the egg.
*Egg shells are sometimes used as a food additive to deliver calcium.
*Boiled eggs that are difficult to peel are usually too fresh.
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Ready to boost your brain power!
(Answers at the end of the page – don’t peak!)
1. When you look at a raw egg out of its shell, there is a white string on the yolk. This string is called Chalaza. What is the Chalaza for? (a) Holding the yolk suspended in the middle of the egg white. (b) To fertilize the egg. (c) It’s the early form of the chicks nervous system prior to becoming an embryo.
2.When you spin an egg to find out if its hard-boiled or raw, which one spins the longest? (a) The raw egg. (b) The hard-boiled egg.
3. If you’re allergic to eggs, what can be used as a substitute in some baking to assist as rising and binding agents? (a) flax seed (b) potato flour (c) tofu (d) arrowroot (e) all the above.
4. What is this picture showing?
(a) a Century egg
(b) a Red Robin egg
(c) a Balute
(d) a broken red Easter Egg.
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“Recipeof the Month”
Scrambled Egg Enchilada
Ingredients:
1 tbsp. butter
12 large eggs - lightly beaten
16 oz. processed cheese loaf with peppers - cubed
1-1/2 cups cooked ham - chopped
12 8-inch flour tortillas
2 tbsps. milk
In a large, non-stick skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add eggs. Without stirring, cook until eggs begin to set on bottom. Draw a spatula across the bottom of the pan to form large curds. Continue cooking until eggs are thickened but still moist [do not stir constantly]. Remove from heat. Add half the cheese to eggs, stirring until cheese melts. Stir chopped ham into mixture.
Divide egg mixture among the 12 flour tortillas. Roll up and place seam-side down in a lightly greased 9"x13" baking dish. Cover and chill eight hours.
Preheat oven to 350 F. Let enchiladas stand at room temperature 30 minutes. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until thoroughly heated.
In a small saucepan, combine remaining cheese and milk. Stirring, cook over medium-low heat until cheese melts. Spoon over enchiladas. Serve with Tomato and Avocado Salsa or Pico de Gallo. Serves 12.
LETTUCE BE YOURPRODUCE COMPANY
Thanks to Sharon Emerson for the great Scrambled Egg Enchilada recipe!
Tomato-Avocado Salsa
Ingredients:
Salsa:
*1 2/3cupschopped seeded plum tomato
*1/2cupfinely chopped red onion
*1/2cupchopped peeled avocado
*2tablespoonsfinely chopped seeded jalapeño pepper
*2tablespoonsred wine vinegar
*1teaspoonminced fresh oregano
*1/8teaspoonsalt
*1/8teaspoonfreshly ground black pepper
*Dash of sugar
Preparation:
To prepare salsa, combine first 9 ingredients in a bowl. Cover and chill.
If YOU would like to share a favorite recipe, please email , or call Margaret Jataine. Next month’s featured produce will be Cucumbers! Get your recipes in quick!!
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Margaret’s Message:
“I have an eggsellent idea! If you’re having company on Father’s Day, don’t go to any great eggspense to celebrate. Too much work to create an egghilirating celebration can also be egghausting. Take your time and eggsplore all the eggspansive options for your celebration. You may eggspose an eggtremely perfect plan that will be very eggsiting for all and not to eggsasperating for you. You’ll have the best eggstravaganza. If this is still too much, then you could just plan an eggspedition that gives everyone a little eggsercise! Prevent the eggspletives and plan for the uneggspected. Have a great June!”
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**Answers to the Riddles:
1. (a) To suspend the yolk in the middle of the whites (albumin). That’s why the yolk isn’t right on the edge of the egg when its hard-boiled.
2. (b)The hard-boiled egg will spin longer. A hard-boiled egg's contents are solid, allowing it to spin freely, while a raw eggs liquid viscous contents cause it to stop spinning in about three rotations.
3. (e) All the above.
4. (a) A Century Egg, or 1000 year egg which is the product of long fermentation of a duck egg.
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