I love eggs.  So much so in fact that there are almost always hard boiled eggs in the fridge.  When I’m traing for a race, they are part of the morning routine: berry protein shake and 1 hard boiled egg.  Like many people I have fond food-based memories.  One is eating soft boiled eggs with my grandpa. My grandmother’s were always perfect.  And I loved being able to add pinches of salt in the shell and stir, stir, stir.  Sharing them with my grandpa before he drove me to school, the best.

Egg salad sandwiches? Enter the hate phase.  Don’t get me wrong; I adore them.  To me, they are sandwhiches of wonderful deviled eggs piled high on soft yummy bread.  But picture if you will, a little third grader bringing egg salad sandwiches to school for lunch.  Back when the classroom ‘refigerators’ were coat closets.  Now imagine that brown bag lunch, tucked in the closet of a very hot, dry Sacramento elementary schoolroom.  My mom had good intentions for providing a tasty,  interesting lunch.  But let me tell you, egg salad sandwiches were not helping me make friends and influence people.  And lunch trading caché?  Forget about it.   I wanted to eat the egg salad with all its salty goodness but the smell of eggs…when we ate outside in the summertime, no problem.  Rest of the year? Problem.

Thirty-four years later, I’m pretty sure my hesitation in taking it out of the lunch bag was just not wanting to be different.  But secretly I was happy to have my fun sandwiches and not what everyone else was eating: pb+j or bologna.  The best sandwich my mom made?  Cream cheese and sprouts.  Seriously, I still eat them today.  Same with the egg salad sandwiches!  Here is my basic, never-fail recipe.  Depending on how I’m feeling or what’s on hand it will get changed up from time to time: fresh tarragon, fresh dill, chopped chives.  Instead of bib lettuce, sometimes it’s arugula.  In the past, I’ve substituted the lemon juice for capers…yum.   Egg salad sandwich on potato bread with a thin slice of lox.  Oh my goodness!  Top that?  Open-faced with caviar dotted on top.  I’m pretty sure that would be my last-day-on-earth lunch.

victoria’s egg salad sandwich
serves 4

3 tbsp light mayo   .   1 tbsp dijon mustard
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice   .   1/8 tsp curry powder
1 celery stalk, diced   .   2 tbsp sweet yellow onion, diced
8 hard boiled eggs.   2 hard boiled egg yolks
salt + pepper to taste

Combine first 6 ingredients in a bowl with a spatula.  Roughly chop eggs + yolks.  Gently fold into mixture.  Salt + pepper to taste.  Serve on soft whole wheat or seeded bread with bib lettuce.
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