While some people will be celebrating Easter with a family dinner this weekend, others will be celebrating it with a brunch. There may even be some families who do both! We don’t have a set way of observing the holiday. It all depends on when Easter falls. We have a bunch of family birthdays from early-March thru late-April, along with a couple of anniversaries in that same time period. Easter weekend is a celebration of family milestones along with our religious celebration.
We all know Easter Sunday falls on different dates each year, but how is the date determined? In AD 325, an ecumenical council set the date of Easter as the Sunday following the full moon that falls on or after the vernal (spring) equinox. This means that Easter is always the first Sunday after the first full moon that falls on or after March 21. Somewhere between March 22 and April 25 for Western Christians. Eastern Orthodox Christians use the older Julian calendar instead of the Gregorian calendar, making their vernal equinox, and hence Easter celebration, later in the year even though they use the same formula.
No matter when you celebrate Easter, if you need an egg dish on the brunch menu, I suggest this one!
Egg & Anchovy Crostini
Egg & Anchovy Crostini (adapted from bonappetit.com) Serves: 4 – 8
Ingredients:
- 6 large eggs, room temperature
- 4 slices large country-style bread
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon sour cream
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 8 oil-packed anchovy fillets, minced
- arugula, chopped, for serving
Preparation:
Cook the eggs in a large saucepan of boiling water for 8 minutes. Drain the eggs and transfer them to a bowl of ice water. Chill them until they are cold, about 8–10 minutes.
Putting the eggs in an ice water bath halts the cooking process.
Peel eggs then tear them in half, placing them in a medium bowl. Add the mustard, sour cream, and garlic. Season the eggs with pepper, then add the anchovies. Mash it all together with a fork until the mixture is combined but the eggs still have some texture.
Combine the ingredients for the egg salad.
Heat the grill to medium. Drizzle the bread on both sides with the oil. Grill the bread, turning it once, until it is toasted and charred in spots, about 2 minutes.
Grill the bread.
Spoon the egg mixture onto the toast pieces. Dress the arugula with a drizzle of olive oil and a bit of salt & pepper then garnish the crostini with the arugula.
Top the egg salad with the dressed arugula.
Cut each slice in half, if desired. Serve immediately.
Egg dishes are perfect for Easter brunch! ~Linda
Egg & Anchovy Crostini (adapted from bonappetit.com) Serves: 4 – 8
Ingredients:
- 6 large eggs, room temperature
- 4 slices large country-style bread
- ¼ cup olive oil,
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon sour cream
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 8 oil-packed anchovy fillets, minced
- arugula, chopped, for serving
Preparation:
Cook the eggs in a large saucepan of boiling water for 8 minutes. Drain the eggs and transfer them to a bowl of ice water. Chill them until they are cold, about 8–10 minutes. Peel eggs then tear them in half, placing them in a medium bowl. Add the mustard, sour cream, and garlic. Season the eggs with pepper, then add the anchovies. Mash it all together with a fork until the mixture is combined but the eggs still have some texture.
Heat the grill to medium. Drizzle the bread on both sides with the oil. Grill the bread, turning it once, until it is toasted and charred in spots, about 2 minutes.
Spoon the egg mixture onto the toast pieces. Dress the arugula with a drizzle of olive oil and a bit of salt & pepper then garnish the crostini with the arugula. Cut each slice in half, if desired. Serve immediately.