My chickens give us the most gorgeous eggs. Clyde, our Araucana, lays large, pale blue eggs with thick shells. Inky, a Black Australorp with a goofy personality, reliably lays six, slightly elongated, mocha colored eggs each week. And our Buff Orpingtons, Bumble and Boo, announce the arrival of their light brown eggs with a chorus of loud bawk, bawks.

We feed our hens a mix of organic feed, cracked corn, and table scraps. Plus, when we’re at home, they free-range around the backyard snacking on grass, worms, slugs, and most recently, my emerging chive shoots.

This diverse diet results in eggs with deep orange yolks and clear, firm whites that hold together when cracked into a bowl. We get nearly two-dozen eggs a week, and this winter, I’ve taken to scambling them with a bit of crème fraiche, Parmesan cheese, and fresh thyme. The eggs are delicious—and make for a quick breakfast or lunch.

Creamy Scrambled Eggs with Parmesan and Thyme
Serves 4

Butter, crème fraiche, and cheese make all eggs taste better, but for the best flavor and color, try to track down eggs from pasture-raised hens for this recipe. Prevent the eggs from sticking—and ensure a soft, creamy texture—by cooking them in a well-seasoned cast iron skillet over low heat with plenty of butter. I like to serve the eggs on thick slices of toasted kalamata olive bread.

You’ll need:
2 tablespoons butter
8 large eggs
¼ cup crème fraiche or sour cream
½ cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated
6 3-inch long sprigs of thyme
salt
pepper

Instructions:
Crack the eggs into a mixing bowl and whisk them until the yolks and whites are well combined. Strip the thyme leaves off their stems and add them to the eggs. Whisk in the crème fraiche and Parmesan. The crème fraiche will look a bit lumpy once it’s mixed with the eggs. Don’t worry—just make sure it is evenly distributed within the egg mixture.

Heat a 10- to 12-inch cast iron skillet over medium low heat.  Add the butter and swirl it around in the pan as it melts, coating the sides. When the butter begins to foam, pour the egg mixture into the skillet. Immediately begin stirring the eggs with a fork, scraping the edges of the pan as you go. Don’t be tempted to cook the eggs on medium or medium high heat–they will stick to the pan and develop a rubbery texture.

When the fork begins to leave a trail in the pan, set the pan onto a cool burner and continue stirring the eggs vigorously for about 30 seconds. This helps prevent the eggs for sticking and encourages the development of big curds. Place the pan back on the burner and continue stirring, lifting the eggs from the bottom and folding them over the top as they thicken. Continue cooking the eggs until they develop a soft, pillowy texture. Remove from the heat, and shower with thyme, flaked salt and pepper. Serve immediately with buttered toast.