true colors

Rainbow-hued eggs delight island customers

Words by Alorie Gilbert
Photos by Brittany Kelley

Growing up in Soviet-era Estonia, Helena Soomer Lincoln remembers times in her childhood when grocery shelves were empty and her family went hungry. Her grandparents kept chickens though, and the eggs they supplied were delicious—a source of nourishment and strength.

In 2020, those memories came flooding back when she encountered empty shelves at local grocery stores during the COVID-19 pandemic. Living on Bainbridge Island, she drove to Bay Hay and Feed one spring day and brought home nine chicks, much to the delight of her five young children.

“I was determined,” she recalls, telling her kids: “We will have chickens and we will not be hungry.”

Six years later, Soomer Lincoln and her family now keep more than 75 chickens and a couple of turkeys at their home in Fort Ward. What started on impulse during a time of stress has flourished into a thriving business. Under the name Fairy Tale Rainbow Eggs, the family sells eggs by the dozen at Pan d’Amore bakery and the Bainbridge Island Farmer’s Market. Her children, now teens, are integral to feeding and caring for the chickens and in collecting and selling eggs, which fetch $14 a dozen.

Customers are drawn to the multi-hued eggs arranged in rainbow order. Soomer Lincoln achieves the effect by crossing eight different chicken breeds from around the world. French Black Copper Marans yield eggs the color of dark chocolate, while Sicilian Buttercups pro- duce a porcelain-white shell and Russian Orloffs lay soft pink eggs.

“People like that kind of thing on Bainbridge,” Soomer Lincoln notes. “Pan d’Amore always sells out.”

As a competitive body builder, Soomer Lincoln eats a lot of eggs herself. She also runs her own dental practice and gives cartons of eggs to patients following procedures to help restore missing teeth—eggs being easy to chew.

To sell eggs commercially, Lincoln drew up a farm plan with help from Brian Stahl of Winney Farm. She learned to clean coops, sanitize eggs, mulch and turn manure into fertilizer—everything required to obtain an egg handler license from Washington state. The whole operation sits on her half-acre residential property, and neighbors don’t seem to mind. Many join her annual Easter egg hunt at the Fort Ward Parade Grounds playground, where children can meet a few chickens and guess which colorful eggs they laid.

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spring quiche with asparagus and goat cheese

Words & recipe by Joya Pettegrew Photo by Brittany Kelley

INGREDIENTS
Crust:
2 c flour
3⁄4 tsp kosher salt
12 tbsp cold unsalted butter,
cut into small pieces
1⁄2 c ice water (more if needed)
Filling:
1 tbsp butter or olive oil
2 c sliced spring onions and/or leeks (white and light green parts)
1 c sliced asparagus, cut on a bias
5 eggs
1 c half-and-half
1 tsp kosher salt
1⁄2 tsp black pepper 4 oz goat cheese or feta, crumbled
1 tbsp chopped fresh dill
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
5 to 8 asparagus spears, trimmed

Add flour, salt, and butter to a mixing bowl. Keep all ingredients cold, especially the butter.

Using your fingers, work butter into flour until crumbly, with pea-size pieces. Don’t overwork the dough! It’s better to stop too early than too late.

Slowly add ice water, mixing just until dough comes together. Too much water can make the crust tough. Form dough into a disk and tightly wrap it in plastic wrap. Chill for 2 hours to overnight.

On a lightly floured surface, roll dough out to fit a 9-inch pie plate. Trim the excess and crimp the edges. Chill for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line crust with parchment and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Blind bake for 15 minutes, remove parchment and weights, then bake 15 minutes more until lightly golden.

Heat butter or oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add spring onions/leeks and cook for 4 to 5 minutes until soft. Add sliced asparagus and cook 2 to 3 minutes, just until tender. Cool slightly.

In a bowl, whisk eggs, half-and-half, salt, and pepper. Stir in cheese, dill, parsley and sautéed vegetables. Pour filling into crust. Arrange asparagus spears on top for a decorative finish.

Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake quiche for 45 minutes, until set. Cool at room temperature for at least 15 to 20 minutes before serving. Enjoy warm or at room temperature. Optional additions include sautéed spinach, sweet peas, or diced ham.