Are you feeling spring-y? I am feeling anxious because we are not cooped up in a fifth-floor-walkup in New York City, where my dog walking would be the sole outings for the day. I am lucky to have a back yard, with a garden that is beckoning me to come out and weed and thin seedlings. The hydrangeas are greening up. The tomatoes are in. I’m transferring the daffodil bulbs from containers into places in the yard where the daff display was a little sparse this year. I can sit out on the back porch and enjoy some sunshine with my sandwich at lunch, and watch the dogwood blossoms dancing in the spring breeze.
The fact that I am not feeling spring-y reflects the difficult times the world is experiencing. I need to thank my lucky stars for this glorious spring weather, and knuckle down to at least go through the motions of preparing for Easter. No Easter egg hunts this year. And I can’t justify buying jelly beans if I am not going to be tucking them into anyone’s Easter baskets. And Peeps? They hardly count as essential. I toyed with the idea of trying to make homemade Peeps. There is a highly amusing Bon Appétit video about Claire Saffitz recreating Peeps, but when I looked at the ingredient list I was pretty sure that neither I, nor you, Gentle Reader, has a secret stash of gelatin or potato starch in our pantries. Next year, that’s when we will make Peeps from scratch, and eschew store-bought.
One thing we do have in abundance is fresh eggs. We are a Farm Family, and once a month we get two dozen eggs and a whole chicken from our favorite poultry farmer. And they are such beauties! I don’t know how many chickens they have laying eggs, because every month we get another array of jewel toned-eggs: green, blue, brown, pale beige, rust, speckles. We won’t need to dye any eggs this year, the natural colors are quite beauteous without any chemical enhancement.
Eggs by themselves are charming, joyous and symbolic. Add some of the precious ingredients from our pantries, and larders, and we can make all sorts of Easter delights without offending the hard-working grocery clerks with our whimsical caprices. Surely they wouldn’t begrudge us Challah, or bacon, or English muffins? Whereas they might have looked askance if we had asked the whereabouts of potato starch
Behold, the Spy Test Kitchen’s Easter Breakfast Listicle for the Season of Social-Distancing and Self-isolation. Use Zoom to add friends, relatives and acquaintances liberally. And remember, breakfast can be eaten at any time of the day. Be creative. Add Champagne.
French Toast
My very own French Toast recipe on Food52: https://food52.com/recipes/4622-weekend-french-toast
Bacon, Egg and Cheese Casserole
With only 2 of us, I halved this recipe: https://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/bacon-potato-and-egg-casserole/#wprm-recipe-container-39516
Bacon Cheddar Quiche
This recipe will hold you in good stead – because you can use it for lunch, dinner, cocktail parties, brunches, small village fêtes, you name it. You will be popularity personified.
https://iwashyoudry.com/bacon-cheddar-quiche-recipe/
Eggs Benedict
Sleep in your guest room, pretend you are staying in a hotel, and on Easter morning treat yourself to a posh hotel breakfast. Don’t forget a bowl of strawberries; they will be in season soon, and you can go pick some yourself. We hope.
https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/eggs-benedict-with-homemade-hollandaise-sauce/
Baked Eggs
This will come in handy when we are having houseguests again, and need to rustle up breakfast for a crowd. In the meantime, it is easy for just one or two, too. https://www.epicurious.com/recipes-menus/how-to-make-baked-eggs-article
Cheese Soufflé
You’ve got time on your hands. Do you want to learn how to code, or to make something fabulous? https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1015853-cheese-souffle?
Egg in the Hole
And after you have become a soufflé whiz, this will seem very easy, and yet, so deelish: https://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/egg-in-a-hole-see-alternate-names-below/
Deviled Eggs
And what would Easter leftovers be without some deviled eggs? Or a picnic? https://www.brit.co/smoked-salmon-deviled-eggs-recipe/
Be kind. Be strong. Wash your hands.
*https://www.bonappetit.com/video/watch/gourmet-makes-pastry-chef-attempts-to-make-gourmet-peeps
“I suppose the best kind of spring morning is the best weather God has to offer.”
― Dodie Smith
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