Counting Down the Sundays

Next Sunday is Palm Sunday followed by Easter, or as it's called here, Ham Fest!  I swore last year that I would never get another bone-in ham and I'm sticking to it -- too much waste.

We're too old and the back yard is too overgrown and lumpy to have an Easter egg hunt.  Still Bon Appetit is making an effort to help those who will with several recipes that involve using hardboiled eggs.   I neither endorse nor whole-heartedly agree with their choices, but ... to each his/her own.

CAMPANELLE WITH EGGS AND CAPERS
Cook 1/2 lb. of campanelle or other short pasta, drain and set aside, reserving a cup of the cooking water.

1/4 cup olive oil in a skillet - add 4 anchovy fillets, 2 finely-chopped garlic cloves, 2 T capers and a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes.

Cook until the anchovies dissolve and then add the pasta to the pan along with 1/4 cup Parmesan and 2 T lemon juice. 

Then add four coarsely-grated hardboiled eggs and 1/2 cup parsley.  If you need the pasta water to coat the sauce, that's what it's there for.

MEDITERRANEAN EGG SALAD
Whisk together 1/4 cup olive oil, 1 T za'atar* and 2 teas. lemon juice
Toss in 4 chopped hardboiled eggs, 1/2 cup chopped green olives 2 T cilantro leaves, 2 T chopped red onion and 2 T toasted pine nuts.  Serve on toast.
*  za'atar is a Middle Eastern spice of basil thyme, thyme and savory seasonings. 

Here are a couple of my ideas for leftover hardboiled eggs: 

EGGS MIMOSA
We learned this in 8th grade in Home Economics class:
Make a white sauce (butter and flour heated and mixed, start beating in cold milk until you've got a "gravy")
Peel and separate the yolk from the eggs, setting it aside and chop the whites and add them to your sauce.  Keep heating and grate the yolks into the sauce for a pretty dish.  Serve over toast.

For a quick version, heat half a can of Cream of Mushroom soup, chop up the eggs and put in with the soup.  Do not dilute the soup.  Sere over toast.

DEVILED EGGS
Hardboiled eggs shelled and halved.  Take out the yolks and mix with mayonnaise and chopped, pickled jalapenos.

Or save yourself some time and effort and don't have an Easter egg hunt...