Springtime. New life. Light evenings. Fresh breezes. Pussy willows. Daffodils. Campfires. And frost boil-jumping. What? Yes, that is one of my favourite activities in the spring.
For those uninitiated in the art of frost boil-jumping, allow me to enlighten you:
Frost boils in Minnesota are typically found on gravel roads and driveways in the spring. When the frost begins to “go out” of the ground too quickly, pockets of mud are heaved up from below. A really good frost boil will erupt like a mini volcano when jumped on, or at least ooze mud. Think of them as giant, muddy zits on the face of the earth, and you’ve got a good idea of frost boils. Too much fun!
Even though our family eats a lot of eggs, springtime weather calls for egg salad.
Boiling eggs isn’t as simple as it sounds. You don’t want tough and gray whites, but you don’t want gooey yolks either. Typically, older eggs are easiest to hardboil, but the method I find works well with farm-fresh eggs is a little different. (We are blessed to have several friends who supply us with the most incredible newly-laid eggs.)
Fill a large saucepan with a couple inches of water. Bring to a boil over medium heat. With a slotted spoon, gently lower the eggs one by one into the boiling water. Cover the pan, lower the heat, and allow the eggs to simmer for 15 minutes.
While they are cooking, prepare an ice bath by filling a bowl with ice cubes and water.
With the slotted spoon, lift each egg out of the boiling water and immediately plunge it into the ice bath. Allow the eggs to cool completely.
I know there are some people who enjoy peeling eggs. I’m not one of them. In my world, it’s simplest to cut the eggs in half and scoop out the insides with a small spoon. You’re going to mash the eggs anyway, so why worry about whole, perfect eggs???
Dig out your largest meat fork. You know …. the one you only use on Thanksgiving and Christmas. Allow that fork to live the exciting “favourite kitchen gadget of the day” kind of life. Use the fork to break up the eggs, mashing them to the size you like for salad.
Stir in the mayonnaise, mustard, and chopped dill. Then season with salt and pepper. Once the egg salad has chilled, serve as topping for salad, in a sandwich, or as I tend to do, eat it straight from the bowl.
Egg and Dill Salad
- Total Time: 15 mins
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
Easy to make ahead — always have some in the refrigerator for a nice lunch
Ingredients
- 8 large eggs
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1 Tbsp coarse brown mustard
- 1/4 cup chopped dill
- Salt & Pepper
Instructions
- Bring a large saucepan of water to a rolling boil
- Gently lower the eggs into the water one at a time
- Simmer for 15 minutes
- Scoop out the eggs and plunge into ice water, allowing them to cool completely
- Cut the eggs in half and scoop out the yolk & white (or peel them)
- Mash with a meat fork to desired size
- Stir in the mayonnaise, mustard, and dill
- Season with salt and pepper and allow to chill before serving on a salad or sandwich
- Cook Time: 15 mins
