Eggs 'n' Herbs 'n' Lettuce

Hello sunshine!

Even if you are hiding behind a cloud, I know you are there.
Even if it is raining so hard the drops bounce and fall a second time, I know you are there, because it isn't dark.  And my cat is starting to do his passive-aggressive SUPER LOUD purr in my ear before the alarm goes off.
Which is his oh-so-gentle way of saying, "Hey lady! You, with the thumbs!  It is light outside, so why are you sleeping.  Change my water so I can splash it around and then come nap in your warm spot."

Anyway, it also means that the Farmers Markets are open and the herbs I repotted are keepin' up with the weeds, and the hens all over the Pacific NorthWe(s)t are cackling away over their new spring eggs.

Egg Salad time my friends!

Egg Salad Sandwich - the good kind

(for 1 sandwich - multiply as needed) 

Ingredients:

handful of herbs

(parsley, cilantro, basil, chives, oregano, maybe a little mint - whatever is available.)

2 eggs

lettuce

mayonnaise

1/2 tsp mustard

salt & pepper to taste

bread

Equipment:

pot with a lid

slotted spoon

kitchen towel

"cereal" sized bowl

fork

Prep:

Fill the pot about half full of water, enough to cover the eggs, plus a little.

Place the eggs in gently, and out on high heat.  

Keep an eye on it while rinsing and chopping up the herbs.

Also give the lettuce a quick rinse and dry.

As soon as the eggs come to a full, rolling boil.  Turn off the heat and let them sit there for about 5 minutes.  If you end up letting them sit for half and hour, they will still be fine.

Cook:

Remove the eggs from the hot water with a slotted spoon.  Place them on the kitchen towel so they can dry and cool enough to handle.

Give them a few gentle knocks on the counter, and peel off the shell.

Tear the peeled eggs in half, and put them in the cereal bowl.  Start mashing them with a fork.  Add a spoonful of mayo, the mustard, and the herbs.  Mash until chunky, but well mixed.  If it looks too dry, add a little more mayonnaise.

Taste for seasoning.  Add salt and pepper until it tastes just right.

Spoon some on to some bread, toss a lettuce leaf on top, finish making the sandwich and enjoy.

Variations:

There's no rule that says you HAVE to make it a sandwich.  Crackers are good, as are sliced veg, tortillas or other flatbread.


Popping egg salad inside a hollowed out cherry tomato makes you look fancy!

My favorite lazy way to make hardboiled eggs is in my electric kettle.  Put in the eggs, hit the on switch, and get back to the eggs in a bit.

(Paleo and Gluten Free people - ignore the bread but still go make this)

(For my longest readers - yes, this is a revisit, but THIS time, I wrote down a recipe!)

Trout Salad (take that Tunafish)

So I have this leftover trout.  We grilled the trout (last post), ate all we could, but still had these tails and a bit of filet left.  So I peeled off the no longer crispy skin.

The cold trout from the fridge was nice and firm, so it was easy to peel the flesh off the bones.

check one more time for those tiny, pesky pin (cough cough) bones.

Chop up the fish, with some celery, herbs (chives, parsley, cilantro, dill?, maybe a tiny bit of tarragon?, anyway, nothing too strong that will strong arm the delicate flavor of the trout).  A little bit of sweet onion or very finely chopped shallot can add some nice flavor too.

Stir in just enough mayonnaise to hold the salad together, add salt and pepper to taste.

Admire momentarily before spreading on crackers and enjoying thoroughly.

B-L-(Fried Green)T

With a nod to Lulu's  (which is inaccessible to me most of the time, since it's in Charlotte, NC), it is time to bring the Bacon, Lettuce and Fried Green Tomato Sandwich to your table.

See, you put it on healthy bread,
then you have it ALL!

Remember these guys?

Fried Green Tomatoes in 10 Minutes Flat

Did you freeze any?  Time to break them out!

They are destined for a sandwich.

You need tasty bread, lettuce and Bacon!

Get you bread toasting, and do this with the bacon:

This is where you'll fry those tomatoes...
Does this mean it's a 1-Pot meal?

And THEN, the sandwich goes a little "choose your own adventure."

A little mayo on the bread is needed to keep the whole thing moist.  But what kind of mayo do you want?

1. Plain - great if you are in a hurry.

2. Garlic - crush a clove of garlic, and stir into a couple of tablespoons of mayo (garlic powder will also do in a pinch)

3. Spicy - stir Sriracha into mayonnaise at a ratio of 1 part Sriracha to 2 parts mayonnaise (so 1tsp Sriracha + 2 tsp mayo = 1Tbs Spicy mayo)

4. 2 & 3!  Spicy Garlic Mayo.

5. The most time consuming - pimento cheese instead of mayo (in addition to???)

Ingredients: - per sandwich

bread - 2 slices (or 3 for a club sandwich* if you are feeling fancy)
lettuce - the right amount
1-2 slices of bacon (depending of the thickness of the bacon)
1 large slice of dredged green tomato - frozen (or fresh, that's allowed too)
mayonnaise or sandwich spread of your choosing

Cook:

Heat up a skillet over medium high heat.
Get your bread toasting.
(mix up your fancy mayonnaise)
Fry your bacon until crispy, drain on a paper towel.  Leave the fat from the bacon in the pan.
In the rendered bacon fat, fry your tomatoes 3 min on each side.
Spread your mayo of choice.
Place the hot tomato directly on the bottom slice.

Assemble --> Bread - mayo - lettuce - bacon - tomato - (mayo) - bread.
If you are going the club sandwich route, you'll need to decide on your own arrangement.

*This is the audio from a Mitch Hedberg routine - nightclub ready, but not little people safe, and possibly not work safe either. 

Dungeness Crab Salad

The best part about crab salad is once you have made it, it can go in the refrigerator/cooler and then you have the base for a few quick meals while under way, or after a long day.

And you can make as little or as much as you want based on the number of crab legs/claws you have left over from the crab cracking the night before.

Since this is the galley edition, the amounts are all going be very approximate, and proportional, since you will always have the amount of crab meat you have.

And since this is my blog, I urge you, as always, to go with your own taste as the final judge.

Ingredients:

Picked leg and claw meat (can use body meat, but that's so good for crab cakes & crepes &...)
Celery and/or Parsley
Red Pepper or Paprika
Onion (purple or sweet or green or...) or Garlic
Mayonnaise
Salt
Lemon or Lime juice

For each heaping cup/large handful of crab meat:
dice or chop fine about 1/4 that amount of Celery and Red pepper (if using paprika, sprinkle in to your taste at the end).
dice a piece of onion slightly bigger than your thumb, or crush and mince a clove of garlic

Toss all these together, and add about a tablespoon of mayonnaise, a pinch of salt and the juice from half a lemon.
Stir together and taste.
Adjust the amounts of ingredients to your taste.

What can you do with this?

Serve it over some of your Big Green Salad - with some warm bread on the side.

Put some on an English muffin (a toasted sourdough one is my favorite), and melt some swiss cheese over it. - Crab Melt!  Beats the flippers off any tuna or patty melt out there.

And if you do bring crab home, and make it there... and there's just too much to eat - it FREEZES!  It is not quite as amazing as fresh.... but what is?
However, you can keep it in the freezer for a few weeks, thaw it in the fridge, and enjoy it your favorite way when you want to impress friends, or just because you deserve more crab.

The Lunch Box Dilemma

As I try to decide on the lunch box regimen for the 1st grade, I try to think back to my own lunches. My mom was not a big fan of the "school hot lunch." Standing where she stood, I see what she meant. But having been in my son's spot, I see the appeal. The answer - compromise... Thanks Mom.

So school lunch 1x a month (I remind myself, lots of kids eat this every day, and they are all there, back at school the next day. Just CHILL! On the other hand, this week's Time, "The Real Cost of Cheap Food" also speaks to me.)

But on other days.... I had sandwich and fruit/veg and drink (milk or real juice) and the occasional cookie. I concede I find this a good formula. However, I firmly believe that what we can make fresh(ish) as small producers will always be superior to mass produced incredibly shelf stable stuff that arrives in foil lined, heat sealed, plastic reinforced packaging. Though, some days, I just gotta say yes to the Dorito.

Anyway, tomorrow, day 1 has been slated as "splashy noodles" in the new thermos, with veg, pickled ginger and cookies on the side. + milk

Day 2 turkey sandwich and apple . + milk

Day 3 PB & J, apple +milk.

It is just lunch. No need to get hyper. Just keep it simple, tasty and fresh and everyone will be ok. I think sometimes we forget as a society that little-er kids crave the security of repetition. It is only us jaded grownups that beg for the constant change and something new. Even many adults are happy with the same thing. After all, "I'll have the usual" is something growups say.