Eggs Three Ways.

Time. 6min cooking time; to colour eggs will take one day (Purpled Eggs), up to two days (Marbled Eggs) and one month (Pickled Eggs). Serves. 8-10 as a meal. Why. “This is what considered dining is all about. It’s not about the cost, it’s about. fresh produce done beautifully. And this is just absolutely stunning.”

Purple eggs.
Left-over beetroot water*
1 dozen eggs from pasture-raised, loved-up chickens
1 dozen quail eggs**
Celtic sea salt, for dipping once cooked
* Reserved from Beet Terrine recipe.
** Available from Peaches, The Boatshed and most Asian stores.

Boil beetroot water in a medium-sized saucepan. While on a rolling boil, place in chicken eggs and boil for 2mins, add in quail eggs and turn off heat. Leave saucepan on stovetop and leave to cool for 24hrs. Serve with purple shell still intact to allow your guests to peel and dip into sea salt.

Marbled eggs.
Left-over beetroot water*
6 eggs from pasture-raised, loved-up chickens
Celtic sea salt, for dipping once cooked
* Reserved from Beet Terrine recipe.

Bring beetroot water to a rolling boil in a small saucepan, then place in eggs for about 5mins. Scoop out eggs and leave beetroot water in the saucepan, so it stays hot. Place eggs in a medium-sized bowl and cover in cold water (let sit for about 5mins).

Pour out water and roll eggs on a hard surface to crack the shells, then carefully place them back in the hot beetroot water with their cracked shells. Allow them to sit 24-48hrs, depending on the depth of colour you prefer.

When they are as dark as you want, remove from beetroot water, peel and be in awe of the beautiful marbling effect. Serve with sea salt.

Pickled eggs.
Left-over beetroot water*
6 eggs from pasture-raised, loved-up chickens
1 cup vinegar (I used half cup of white vinegar and half apple cider vinegar), to cover
1 tsp sugar
Celtic sea salt
2 star anise
3 cloves
Peppercorns
* Reserved from Beet Terrine recipe.

Bring beetroot water to a rolling boil in a small saucepan, then place in eggs for about 6mins. Scoop out eggs, place in a medium-sized bowl and cover in cold water (let sit for about 5mins).

Pour out water and peel eggs, then place in a big, clean, sterile jar.

In a medium-sized saucepan, boil vinegar with sugar, salt, star anise, cloves and peppercorns (if it’s too vinegary to your taste, add some water). While still warm, pour over eggs in jar to cover, then refrigerate for a month.

Serve eggs with your favourite bread or toast (we’ve served it with our Alpine Bread), Floral Butter and/or Geraldton Wax Oil, with Nell’s Tomato Salad and Besto on the side.

Nell’s Tomato Salad.

Time. 5mins prep; 10mins to rest. Serves. 8-10 as a meal. Why. “So easy, so fresh and so beautiful. This dish is best served casually and with no inhibitions when it comes to mopping up juices and sucking dribbles off fingers.”

1/2 pomegranate
3 cups tomatoes (select lots of different types and sizes of tomatoes – ie. Kumara, cherry, black cherry, yellow), room temperature
2 tsp Celtic sea salt
1/2 cup cut herbs, I use thyme, basil, oregano
1/4 cup good-quality olive oil
2 tsp cracked black pepper

To prepare the pomegranate, place face-down on a wooden board and hit with a wooden spoon to loosen the seeds. Break pomegranate in half with your hands (or a knife), and push your fingers against the pomegranate half to get out every seed. It will make a lot of mess, but is totally worth it and quite rewarding!

Warm a large ceramic bowl by putting under hot water, then dry. Pour in excess pomegranate juice, then dice tomatoes and place in the warmed bowl, cover in salt and leave to sit for 10mins.

Sprinkle over herbs, pepper and pomegranate seeds, then pour over oil and mix. Serve.

Besto.

Time. 5mins Pantry. Keeps for 1 week in the fridge. Why. “Fresh and gives a flavourful kick to anything. Double the quantity and use for the next week on roasted vegetables, meats or even fresh bread and butter. So delicious.”

2 cups beetroot leaves, washed and pat-dried
1 cup good-quality olive oil
4 cloves garlic, peeled
3/4 cup roasted pine nuts
3/4 cup pecorino*, grated
2 tsp lemon zest
Tonnes of cracked black pepper

Wash greens and blend (while still wet) with oil and garlic. When smooth, add pine nuts and blend for only a short blast (you want it to be chunky). Stir through the remaining oil, cheese, zest and pepper. Tip out into a small bowl, using a spatula to get every last bit of the besto. Serve.

*I always used aged pecorino.