DEVILED EGGS WITH CUCUMBER, LEMON AND HERBS

Steps:

• Kathy's Note: Deviled eggs are such fun picnic food. The trick is making them ahead of time and figuring out a safe, secure way to transport them. You can pack them tightly in a covered shallow plastic container (use paper towels rolled into cigar shapes to create a buffer if there's room in the container and they are going to move around) These deviled eggs have a little makeover. I stuff the bottom of the cooked whites with a few surprises: cucumber, fresh herbs, and lemon. Then I top the fillings with a creamy egg mixture, so that each bite reveals a burst of flavor inside. Place the eggs on top of a bed of arugula, baby watercress or pea greens. Once you get the hang of these devilled egg surprises, you can create your own flavors; see below for some ideas to get you started. [sidebar title="Egg Tips: Hard Boiled and Cracking Secrets"] Place the eggs in a single layer in a large saucepan. Add cold water to cover the eggs by about an inch, and bring the water to a boil over high heat. When the water boils, cover the pan tightly, reduce the heat to low and cook 4 minutes. Remove the pan off the heat. Let the eggs sit for 10 minutes. Drain the water you cooked the eggs in out of the saucepan, keeping the eggs in the pan. Shake the pan back and forth and up and down a few times, so that the egg shells crack just a little. Then fill the pan with cold water; the water will seep into the cracks in the shells and separate the eggs from the shells, making them easier to peel once they've cooled.[/sidebar] Serves 8 to 12. Ingredients: 12 hard-boiled eggs (see below), peeled 1/4 cup mayonnaise 1 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard Salt and freshly ground pepper 1 cup cucumber, peeled and finely chopped 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 tablespoon finely chopped scallions 1 tablespoon fresh minced chives Instructions: Using a small, sharp knife, cut each egg in half lengthwise. Carefully remove the yolks and place in a small bowl. Mash the yolks with a fork, and add the mayonnaise, mustard, and salt and pepper to taste. Place a tiny bit of the cucumber, lemon juice, scallions and chives into the bottom of the egg whites. Add the remaining cucumber, lemon juice, scallions and chives into the egg yolk mixture and gently stir. Fill each egg half with a spoonful of the yolk mixture. Favorite Variations: Substitute 1 cup of any of the following for the cucumber-lemon-scallion-chive mixture above and proceed with the recipe: Thin slices of pitted green and/or black olives Chopped roasted red pepper Crumbled blue cheese or goat cheese with scallions Cooked crumbled bacon and scallions Chopped smoked salmon (or bluefish) with fresh dill and grated lemon zest