Last week I met with my good friends Stephanie and Beth at the Skillet Restaurant at the Ozark Folk Center for a working lunch to plan our upcoming Arkansas Women Bloggers retreat. The park is home to Tina Marie Wilcox who is an AMAZING herbalist. She is the head gardener and herbalist in the park and sees to it that the Skillet Restaurant is well stocked with fresh herbs to use in their menu preparations. Tina can be seen below (wearing the hat) teaching Sophie (Beth’s daughter), Hays and Finn (Stephanie’s boys) about the Foxtail plant. Also pictured is fellow Arkansas Women Blogger and sheep extraordinaire, Jeanette Larson.
The Skillet Restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner daily from April through November and has so many delicious offerings on their menu. I was particularly drawn to an item called the Ranger Omelette. It was a fresh egg omelette filled with a fresh herb cream cheese and served with your choice of two sides. I love eggs, I love herbs and I love cheese. Plus two of the sides available were Fried Green Tomatoes and Fried Squash! Ummm…YES PLEASE!
This omelette did NOT disappoint! It was so good I could have probably eaten another one right on the spot! The omelette was perfectly browned with parts slightly crispy and reminiscent of the coating on french toast. The cheese was soft and warm and coated my mouth like a hot shower on a really cold day. The herbs were so bright and crisp that if the night sky had a taste it would probably taste like this!
I left that evening with that delicious omelette still calling to me. I wanted more and was determined to replicate the joy I felt while eating it as soon as possible. Seriously, this omelette was like a religious experience for my belly. It truly was THAT good! So, less than 24 hours later I was frantically recreating this delicacy in my own kitchen. Here is my Herbed Goat Cheese Omelette inspired by the Skillet Restaurant’s Ranger Omelette.
Herbed Goat Cheese Omelette
Serves 2
3 oz. fresh goat cheese (substitute cream cheese if you prefer), room temperature
1 Tbs. Fresh chopped herbs plus more for garnish
4 large eggs (Farm fresh, free range, if you can!)
1 Tbs. salted butter, divided
Chop whatever fresh herbs you have on hand. I used what was in my garden which included thyme, oregano, lemon balm and rosemary. You will need slightly over 1 Tbs. of herbs once they are finely chopped.
In a small dish combine the room temperature goat cheese with 1 tbs. of fresh herbs and mix to combine. Set aside.
In another small dish whisk two whole eggs until they are fluid and slightly paler in color. Melt 1/2 tbs. of salted butter in a skillet and prepare the first two eggs, omelette style. When the eggs have cooked place just less than half of the goat cheese mixture down the omelette, roll and transfer to a plate. Repeat with the second omelette.
Top each omelette with a dalop of the remaining goat cheese mixture and sprinkle with fresh herbs.
Serve with fresh fruit or if your feeling really ambitious make Fried Green Tomatoes and Fried Squash!
Enjoy!
Even our 6-month old Great Dane, Thor, wanted some!
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