Backyard Egg Salad Sandwiches

Glorious Cleo the Egg Layer

I've never felt the need to Twitter any chicken news, until today. What could be so important that it had to be instantly shared across the world? Well, today I witnessed something that I wanted to immediately tell everyone I knew: Today I watched Cleo lay an egg!

This afternoon when I went into the coop to collect the eggs, there was Cleo sitting in the nest cooing and making all sorts of soft maternal sounds. She didn't seem bothered by my presence, so I settled down in the coop and proceeded to wait and watch. It can take a chicken 20 to 30 minutes to lay an egg, so I had no idea how long I'd have to wait. In the meantime, I patiently sat there wishing I'd brought the camera.

She cooed and wiggled her butt, used her head to throw nesting material around and a few times repositioned herself to get the perfect position, all the while keeping up a low gentle murmur. Finally, when my legs were starting to cramp and I wondered if I should leave her to it, she raised her legs and rear keeping her head low, and in an instant out popped an egg. The egg was shiny and wet with the bloom that dries quickly but keeps bacteria from entering the shell. She instantly went to work moving the egg with her beak into the corner of the nest, presumably to protect it and keep it safe.

At that moment, as I watched her gently and carefully move that unfertilized egg that would never hatch into anything, I felt an overwhelming sadness that maybe I shouldn't be snatching her precious eggs and eating them for breakfast. But of course, they will never hatch and tomorrow she will lay another one and such I guess is the life of a chick. However, her gentleness and care was a good reminder to me of the precious gifts my chicks give.

Cleo's Egg

I do personally thank each of my chicks every day for the eggs they lay, but I especially thanked Cleo today for letting me witness her miracle. I'll eat that egg with extra blessings and wonder.

Cleo's eggs are beautiful. They are olive green on the outside, but blue on the inside! The color of an egg will not change the flavor, but it does make it more interesting to peel. Lulu's eggs are light blue inside and out, while Roxanne's eggs are brown on the outside and white on the inside.


Sometimes the best way to enjoy backyard eggs is the simplest. Today for lunch we had egg salad sandwiches. Yum....it added a touch of spring to this sunny winter day.

Backyard Egg Salad Sandwiches

6 eggs, preferably at least 1 week old organic, free-range eggs
1 large shallot, minced
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup mayonnaise
sliced artisan bread
mixed baby greens

Place eggs in a medium saucepan, cover with hot water and bring to a gentle boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer very gently for 9 minutes (the water should lazily burp and bubble occasionally, but the eggs should never bounce or rattle; adjust the heat as necessary). Place the eggs in a bowl of ice water until cool. Peel and chop the eggs.

I usually chop them in my hand just as my grandmother did and mother still does. Does your mother or grandmother do this too? I know it's not the safest, but I fall back into old habits when making this recipe. Just for the record, it's safer to use a cutting board.

Toss the eggs with the shallots, pepper and salt.


Gently stir in the mayonnaise.


Makes 4 huge sandwiches or 6 normal-size sandwiches

Vietnamese Sandwiches

I love leftovers. Because I cook a lot, my fridge and freezer often are filled with a nice assortment of leftovers, which I usually don't mind. Sometimes, however, leftovers pose a problem. Such was the case last week when I couldn't stop nibbling the leftovers of a wonderful chicken liver pâté I had made. A couple of tastes are fine, but night after night of buttery pâté is enough to totally blow anyone's January resolutions. The problem was I just couldn't throw it away.

You see the reason I developed the pâté was to use everything the chicken has to offer. Not only the meat, but also the parts that are normally tossed aside such as the liver. It's important to utilize the whole bird.

I wanted to use the rest of the pâté as part of a meal, but the first thing that came to mind, Beef Wellington, was way too rich for after-holiday fare. Then I remembered that liver pâté is part of the traditional Vietnamese sandwich called bahn mi.

Bahn Mi

As with most things Vietnamese, this sandwich is light, fresh and satisfying. Assembled in a crisp baguette-style roll (the best ones are from the Asian markets or Vietnamese bakeries), layers of roast pork and pâté are topped with crisp cucumbers, carrots and cilantro keeping it light and crunchy.

Almost a full salad within the sandwich.

Flavored with spicy Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce, fish sauce and soy sauce, it offers a taste sensation more complex than any traditional American sandwich.

Sriracha - The Rooster Sauce
(Follow the link for the behind the scenes story of this American Asian-style hot sauce.)

Even if you don't have liver pâté in your fridge, give this sandwich a try. Its spicy fresh taste may be just the thing to liven the upcoming football weekend frenzies.



Bahn Mi
Vietnamese Hero Sandwiches

2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon Sriracha chili sauce
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 tablespoon water
2 hero buns, split
1/4 cup liver pâté or liverwurst, optional
1/3 cup thinly sliced cucumbers
1/2 cup thinly sliced roast pork
1/4 cup julienne carrots
6 sprigs fresh cilantro

Stir together the mayonnaise and the chili sauce. In a separate bowl, stir together the fish sauce, soy sauce and water.

Smear the mayonnaise over the top half of each bun. Spread the liver pâté over the bottom half of each bun. Layer the cucumbers over the pâté, top with the pork, then the carrots and finish with the cilantro.

Drizzle the fish sauce mixture over the sandwich before serving.

Serves 2

Scrambled Egg Breakfast Wraps

Garden Salsa:
1/2 small tomato
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 tablespoons chopped green bell pepper
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped cilantro
Salt and pepper to taste
Hot sauce to taste

Wrap:
1 or 2 eggs
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tablespoon butter
1 flour tortilla
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Sour cream to taste

1. Combine all the salsa ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
2. Whisk the eggs in a medium bowl until frothy. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Melt the butter in a small nonstick saucepan over medium heat. Pour in the eggs and cook over medium to medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the eggs begin to form large curds but are still very moist. Spoon the eggs down the center of the tortilla.
3. Sprinkle the eggs with the cheese. Top with the sour cream and a couple of spoonfuls of salsa; roll up.
   

Serves 1

Toad in the Hole

1 tablespoon butter
1 slice bread
1 egg
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Butter both sides of the bread. Cut out a circle in the middle of the bread using a glass. Place the bread, along with the cut out piece, in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Break an egg into the center hole of the bread and season the egg with salt and pepper.
2. Cook the bread and egg 2 to 3 minutes or until the bread is toasted and the egg is set on the bottom. Very carefully turn the bread with the egg and the cut out piece of bread over, and cook until the bread is lightly toasted.
   

Serves 1

Do-It-Yourself-Deviled Eggs

1 hard-cooked egg*
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 to 2 teaspoons sliced green onions
Your choice of seasonings to taste (use very small amounts to begin with and taste before adding more)
Options: Curry powder, Asian sesame oil, soy sauce, fish sauce, hot sauce, mustard, smoked paprika, chutney, garlic, cheese, lemon or lime, etc.
1 teaspoon chopped fresh herbs (such as cilantro, parsley, dill, tarragon, basil)
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Peel the egg. Slice the egg in half lengthwise. Gently scoop out the egg yolk and place in a small bowl. Reserve the egg whites. Mash the yolk using a fork until finely crumbled. Stir in the mayonnaise until blended. Stir in the green onions.
2. Stir in any seasonings to taste, if desired.
3. Stir in any fresh herbs if desired. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Spoon the egg yolk mixture back into the egg whites.
   

Serves 1

*To hard-cook the egg, place the egg in a small saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil over high heat. When the water is just starting to boil, turn down the heat until small bubbles form and boil gently for 9 minutes. Immediately place the egg in ice water or very cold water and let sit until cold.

Goat Cheese Stuffed Eggs with Fresh Herbs

(photo taken by Stafford Photography)

Goat Cheese Stuffed Eggs with Fresh Herbs

This recipe of mine was first featured in the April/May 2008 issue of Cooking Pleasures magazine. Goat cheese adds creaminess and a slight tang to these deviled eggs.

6 hard-cooked eggs, halved, separated
2 ounces soft goat cheese, room temperature
6 tablespoons mayonnaise (I prefer Hellmann's)
2 teaspoons minced shallots
2 teaspoons minced fresh tarragon, chives, chervil, dill and/or basil
1/8 teaspoon salt
pinch freshly ground pepper

Mash egg yolks in a medium bowl with a pastry blender or a fork until well-crumbled. Add the cheese and continue to mash until blended. Blend in the mayonnaise until smooth. Stir in the shallots, herbs, salt and pepper.

Pipe the yolk mixture into the egg whites using a pastry bag and star tip or spoon the mixture into the whites.

Makes 12 deviled eggs

Grilled Eggplant with Feta Cheese, Tomatoes and Basil

Grilled eggplant has a wonderful smoky quality to it. This versatile dish can be served as an appetizer, a vegetarian main course or as a side dish to chicken or pork. It can even be used as a sandwich filling for pita bread.

3 large garlic cloves, minced
1 small eggplant, unpeeled, sliced 1/2-inch thick
extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 lemon
coarse sea salt
freshly ground pepper
3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil

Heat the grill. Rub the garlic over the eggplant slices then brush the eggplant with olive oil. Grill the eggplant over medium to medium-low heat 5 to 10 minutes or until slightly charred and tender when pierced with a fork, turning once.

Place the eggplant slices on a large platter and drizzle with additional olive oil. Squeeze the lemon half over the eggplant slices and season to taste with salt and pepper. Scatter the cheese and tomatoes over the eggplant and top with basil.

Serves 4 to 6