Los Osos Ranch cage-free organic eggs 

Did you ever see that Simpsons episode when Homer teaches Bart how to steal Flanders' eggs from his backyard chicken coop? Why does he do this? Because they taste better! In the end, Homer decides that the reason they taste good is that they're stolen, not because they are fresh, organic, cage-free eggs ... but that's just Homer. Fresh, local eggs do taste better, and you don't need to resort to crime to get them.

My family consumes so many eggs (approximately a dozen a day) we should be required to be chicken parents. Yet I wonder if we'll ever be. To manage our massive egg intake, we found the next best thing: buying grade AA cage-free large eggs from locally owned Los Osos Ranch in Santa Maria. Produced and marketed by Cal Poly alumni, these eggs are USDA organic, certified humane, and packed full of flavor. The large, deep orange yolks are always fresh, and the eggs come from hens fed an all natural, organic vegetarian diet, with no added hormones or antibiotics.

These eggs make a good protein source with 6 grams per egg, and contain vitamin A, calcium, and iron. To be really specific, the eggs are fed a mix of organic grains and vitamins that are farmed without pesticides or chemical fertilizers. The cage-free hens live a good life in large, open-sided barns, allowing them to run free out in the natural sunlight and fresh air.

Bart Simpson would certainly approve.

A dozen organic Los Osos Ranch grade AA cage-free large eggs cost about $5.50 at local markets and grocery stores. Find them at Vons and Baywood Market. Δ

Flavor writer Beth Giuffre loves natural sunlight and fresh air. Send your favorite cage-free comestibles to [email protected].