Naturally Dyed Easter Eggs & What To Do With Them Post-Hunt

Thursday, March 28, 2013

Amidst the chaos of daily life with an almost-4-year-old and an almost-7-month-old (and a house renovation), Easter has really snuck up on me this year. So there will be no brilliant new recipes or flawless photos before Sunday (sigh...)

But I do want to share a very beautiful technique using plants to decorate your eggs and also point you to some posts about making your own gorgeous, natural dyes instead of those nasty Paas tablets. And, of course, give you some good recipes to put all those hardboiled eggs to use!

finished!

According to my friend, Mara, who made the eggs pictured below, this is a traditional Swiss method. It sounds pretty easy, too. 
Traditional Swiss dyed Easter eggs by Mara Mcmillan
  1. Pick whatever plants/leaves you want to use
  2. Wet them slightly so that they stick to the eggs
  3. Hold them in place while you wrap a 5" piece of cheesecloth or pantyhose around the egg and tie the ends with string.
  4. Boil the eggs for 10 min in water that has been pre-boiled with onion skins for at least an hour (leave the onion skins in with the eggs).
We're hoping to try making these this year (though not in time for me to share with you BEFORE Easter) and I will certainly report back on Facebook if we do.

 There are also all sorts of great natural dyes out there - from turmeric to red cabbage to carrots to beets to blueberries to coffee and more.

 Here are some links to get you started (they all seem to say more or less the same things):
Of course, once your egg hunt is over, you'll have a lot of hardboiled eggs at hand. So here are a few yummy ways to use them.




A Platter of Deviled Easter Eggs by Eve Fox, Garden of Eating blog, copyright 2011

We're planning to get all the ingredients prepped for deviled eggs on Easter morning so that we can quickly whip up some brunch after we've finished finding them.

 Happy Easter to those of you who celebrate it. And happy egg eating to everyone.

 You might also like:

Want even more recipes, photos, giveaways, and food-related inspiration? "Like" the Garden of Eating on Facebook, or follow me on Twitter or Pinterest.
3 comments:

A Taste of Spring in France from Susan of On Rue Tatin

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Last month, I posted a delicious braised chicken recipe from one of my favorite books, On Rue Tatin: Living and Cooking in a French Town by Susan Herrmann Loomis who lives, cooks, teaches and writes in a small city in Normandy. I've wanted to meet Susan ever since I first read her book five years ago. So you can imagine my delight when she emailed me to thank me for the post - like meeting a celebrity! And, as I expected, she's a lovely person.

 Since my six-month-old, my almost four-year-old, and our house renovation (exciting! also stressful and time-consuming) have really put a crimp in my ability to cook and blog these past few months, I asked my new friend, Susan, if she'd be interested in doing a guest post. Happily, she said yes! Read on for this lovely taste of spring from northern France. Enjoy! -Eve

 The surprise snowfall of a few days ago has barely melted in this clement region of France, where we count snow days on one hand. It was lovely while it lasted. Everything was blanketed in white, and oh so quiet. I live in the center of a bustling town and the few cars that managed to navigate the streets sounded like they had slippers on their tires!
My house (a restored 15th century convent) and yard blanketed with snow a few days ago.
As the snow melts it reveals not dead leaves and the detritus of late winter, but baby daffodils that were just about to bloom, the tips of tulip leaves poking from the ground, tender leaves on rose bushes, and buds on the hydrangeas.

That’s all décor. When it comes to food, I see tendrils of tarragon waving in the breeze, along with a vigorous sorrel plant that seems to have sprouted leaves under the snow. The arugula is well on its way, and bronze fennel fronds are poking up here and there. Our snow halted everything but garden growth, which bodes well for spring meals.
The garden at Rue Tatin with a swirl of radish plants.
To be honest, I cannot wait for a change in season. I love winter vegetables more than life itself, but around about March, my palate is itching for change. And it’s here. We’re already getting the first radishes, and Provence is providing us with sweet-smelling strawberries. We’ll soon have baby onions and turnips and a whole array of sorely missed lettuces. And in no time at all, that very special denizen of spring, local asparagus.
Meantime, though, patience is called for, dreams are not yet the stuff of reality. We’ve still got beautiful winter vegetables, and it is up to the creative cook to make them appear exciting. I do it through sleight of hand.

Beets are still firm and juicy, and instead of roasting or pureeing them, at this moment I grate and turn them into a spicy, shallot-rich salad. Carrots? I’m not going to make any more pot au feu for awhile and will, instead, braise them in turmeric to give them new life. Endives remain a favorite, but instead of caramelizing them with garlic I’ll dice and toss them with a garlicky vinaigrette, walnuts, and Roquefort. Leeks? In the winter I add them to soup or stew but now, I’ll sauté them until they’re tender and bright green, and serve them as a fresh side vegetable.

 These little changes will keep us all happy until spring is truly here, and on the plate. And in the meantime, there are those gorgeous radishes.

 How to eat them to show off their best? Slather fresh butter on a thick slice of baguette, dip a radish in fleur de sel, and munch away. There is no better taste of spring!

 You can find more of Susan's writing and recipes on her web site and her blog. She also teaches cooking classes at her home in Louviers and at various spots in the U.S.

 You might also like:
Want even more recipes, photos, giveaways, and food-related inspiration? "Like" the Garden of Eating on Facebook, or follow me on Twitter or Pinterest.
2 comments:

Thursday, March 28, 2013

Naturally Dyed Easter Eggs & What To Do With Them Post-Hunt

Amidst the chaos of daily life with an almost-4-year-old and an almost-7-month-old (and a house renovation), Easter has really snuck up on me this year. So there will be no brilliant new recipes or flawless photos before Sunday (sigh...)

But I do want to share a very beautiful technique using plants to decorate your eggs and also point you to some posts about making your own gorgeous, natural dyes instead of those nasty Paas tablets. And, of course, give you some good recipes to put all those hardboiled eggs to use!

finished!

According to my friend, Mara, who made the eggs pictured below, this is a traditional Swiss method. It sounds pretty easy, too. 
Traditional Swiss dyed Easter eggs by Mara Mcmillan
  1. Pick whatever plants/leaves you want to use
  2. Wet them slightly so that they stick to the eggs
  3. Hold them in place while you wrap a 5" piece of cheesecloth or pantyhose around the egg and tie the ends with string.
  4. Boil the eggs for 10 min in water that has been pre-boiled with onion skins for at least an hour (leave the onion skins in with the eggs).
We're hoping to try making these this year (though not in time for me to share with you BEFORE Easter) and I will certainly report back on Facebook if we do.

 There are also all sorts of great natural dyes out there - from turmeric to red cabbage to carrots to beets to blueberries to coffee and more.

 Here are some links to get you started (they all seem to say more or less the same things):
Of course, once your egg hunt is over, you'll have a lot of hardboiled eggs at hand. So here are a few yummy ways to use them.




A Platter of Deviled Easter Eggs by Eve Fox, Garden of Eating blog, copyright 2011

We're planning to get all the ingredients prepped for deviled eggs on Easter morning so that we can quickly whip up some brunch after we've finished finding them.

 Happy Easter to those of you who celebrate it. And happy egg eating to everyone.

 You might also like:

Want even more recipes, photos, giveaways, and food-related inspiration? "Like" the Garden of Eating on Facebook, or follow me on Twitter or Pinterest.
at 3 comments:

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

A Taste of Spring in France from Susan of On Rue Tatin

Last month, I posted a delicious braised chicken recipe from one of my favorite books, On Rue Tatin: Living and Cooking in a French Town by Susan Herrmann Loomis who lives, cooks, teaches and writes in a small city in Normandy. I've wanted to meet Susan ever since I first read her book five years ago. So you can imagine my delight when she emailed me to thank me for the post - like meeting a celebrity! And, as I expected, she's a lovely person.

 Since my six-month-old, my almost four-year-old, and our house renovation (exciting! also stressful and time-consuming) have really put a crimp in my ability to cook and blog these past few months, I asked my new friend, Susan, if she'd be interested in doing a guest post. Happily, she said yes! Read on for this lovely taste of spring from northern France. Enjoy! -Eve

 The surprise snowfall of a few days ago has barely melted in this clement region of France, where we count snow days on one hand. It was lovely while it lasted. Everything was blanketed in white, and oh so quiet. I live in the center of a bustling town and the few cars that managed to navigate the streets sounded like they had slippers on their tires!
My house (a restored 15th century convent) and yard blanketed with snow a few days ago.
As the snow melts it reveals not dead leaves and the detritus of late winter, but baby daffodils that were just about to bloom, the tips of tulip leaves poking from the ground, tender leaves on rose bushes, and buds on the hydrangeas.

That’s all décor. When it comes to food, I see tendrils of tarragon waving in the breeze, along with a vigorous sorrel plant that seems to have sprouted leaves under the snow. The arugula is well on its way, and bronze fennel fronds are poking up here and there. Our snow halted everything but garden growth, which bodes well for spring meals.
The garden at Rue Tatin with a swirl of radish plants.
To be honest, I cannot wait for a change in season. I love winter vegetables more than life itself, but around about March, my palate is itching for change. And it’s here. We’re already getting the first radishes, and Provence is providing us with sweet-smelling strawberries. We’ll soon have baby onions and turnips and a whole array of sorely missed lettuces. And in no time at all, that very special denizen of spring, local asparagus.
Meantime, though, patience is called for, dreams are not yet the stuff of reality. We’ve still got beautiful winter vegetables, and it is up to the creative cook to make them appear exciting. I do it through sleight of hand.

Beets are still firm and juicy, and instead of roasting or pureeing them, at this moment I grate and turn them into a spicy, shallot-rich salad. Carrots? I’m not going to make any more pot au feu for awhile and will, instead, braise them in turmeric to give them new life. Endives remain a favorite, but instead of caramelizing them with garlic I’ll dice and toss them with a garlicky vinaigrette, walnuts, and Roquefort. Leeks? In the winter I add them to soup or stew but now, I’ll sauté them until they’re tender and bright green, and serve them as a fresh side vegetable.

 These little changes will keep us all happy until spring is truly here, and on the plate. And in the meantime, there are those gorgeous radishes.

 How to eat them to show off their best? Slather fresh butter on a thick slice of baguette, dip a radish in fleur de sel, and munch away. There is no better taste of spring!

 You can find more of Susan's writing and recipes on her web site and her blog. She also teaches cooking classes at her home in Louviers and at various spots in the U.S.

 You might also like:
Want even more recipes, photos, giveaways, and food-related inspiration? "Like" the Garden of Eating on Facebook, or follow me on Twitter or Pinterest.
at 2 comments: