Trees are putting out tender little leaves, blades of bright green grass are pushing up everywhere, sour grass (yum!) covers the hillsides and Texas Mountain Laurel (see below) and a bunch of other lovely flowers I don't know the names of are blooming. In short, spring has sprung. (Muchas gracias to my sis-in-law, Becky for these two lovely iPhone shots of the city as I forgot to bring a camera and still have a "dumb" phone.)
Unfortunately, spring has not sprung in upstate New York. At least it hadn't by the time we left -- in fact, we headed out on the heels of a two-day snow-sleet-ice-rain storm. Perhaps that is why I was seized by a desire to make egg salad - which I consider to be a sort of culinary harbinger of spring - in the midst of the white stuff falling from the sky a few days ago.
I had some fresh dill and some celery left over from making chicken soup for a friend who's been sick for what seems like forever, the poor thing. There's something so incredibly spring-like about fresh dill - the fresh, light flavor, the tender, feathery, green fronds.
And I had some hard-boiled eggs hanging out in the fridge, including one kinda funny-looking one that started out as a failed soft-boiled egg.
I've been making a lot of Grandpa Joe's eggs for breakfast lately and sometimes the egg just "cracks up" (pun intended) when it hits the boiling water, even though I coddle it by easing it in with a slotted spoon. I usually just hard-boil these unfortunate souls which end up looking rather unique.
So I mixed up this simple and dee-li-cious egg salad. It's a much more classic interpretation than I typically make but it was a hit with me and the husband.
Happy (almost) spring to you all.
Egg Salad With Fresh Dill & Celery
Serves 3-4
Ingredients
* 4 large hard-boiled eggs, peeled
* 2-3 stalks celery, leaves and ends removed, finely chopped
* 1 Tbsp finely chopped shallot or onion
* 1-2 Tbsp chopped, fresh dill
* 2 Tbsp sweet relish
* 2 Tbsp mayonnaise
* 1 tsp mustard
* Sea salt
* Freshly ground black pepper
Directions
1. Cut the eggs in half length-wise. Scoop the yolks out into a bowl and mash with a fork. Add the mayo, mustard, relish, salt and pepper and mix to combine.
2. Chop the egg whites into cubes/squares and place them in a bowl along with the celery and onions. Add the yolk-mayo-etc., mixture and mix well.
3. Taste and adjust salt, pepper, etc., to taste. Serve on bread, crackers or a bed of lettuce.
You might also like:
- Curried Egg Salad
- Sriracha, Cilantro & Scallion Deviled Eggs
- Frittata With Chevre, New Potatoes & Fresh Herbs
- Spinach & Cheese Strata
- Spinach, Onion, Thyme & Cheese Quiche
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You should opt for medium or small sized eggs rather than large ones as, despite the manipulations, the large ones are painful for the hens to lay. Thanks for another good recipe.
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