Wisconsin Egg Salad with Papa Lena’s Bodacious Beet Chips

Danny and I drove home from the country in Wisconsin where we just spent two days witnessing the most beautiful funeral for his 88-year-old Auntie Maryann Lena who migrated to this country from Alta Mundo, Calabria, Italy. With her husband Vince of 56 years, she fostered over 100 children (along with her own three children), raised white homing doves, collected blue glass (over 5000 pieces), loved to sew, plant flowers, and cook for everyone. She was the best cook…she canned her own tomato sauce, vegetables, and fruit that Vince grew in his garden on their expansive property. As the grandkids spoke in church about her fabulous cooking, I was inspired to make some comfort food when we got home.

Just as we were about to drive back to Chicago, Aunt Peggy (Maryann’s daughter-in-law) announced to all the “city Lena’s”  that she had an overabundance of eggs that they gathered that morning from the chickens and we were all welcome to take some home. This was the first time I had ever seen “real” chicken eggs! Still flecked with dirt from the farm, they were so cute and perfect in their imperfection. There were small ones, big ones, beige ones, white ones, brown ones, even speckled ones. I immediately hardboiled some when we got home and created this simple, delicious, intensely flavored egg salad.

Just before they were about to lower the tulip-strewn casket into the ground, the priest prayed and said it’s time to say goodbye to Maryann. Tearfully, Uncle Vince and the grandkids held the delicate white doves in their hands and released them into the clear blue Wisconsin sky…

Enough for four egg salad sandwiches:

Sliced bread of your choice, preferably whole wheat or whole grain.
Large pieces of Romaine lettuce

8-10 large hardboiled free-range chicken eggs, some chopped fine, some chopped coarse

½ cup mayonnaise (use low fat if preferred)

½ cup finely chopped celery

¼ cup finely chopped onion (optional)

2 tsp. Dijon mustard

½ cup crushed Papa Lena’s Bodacious Beet Chips

Salt, pepper, and paprika to taste

Roasted Red Pepper Chips

Bodacious Beet Chips

In a bowl, mix all ingredients except eggs and beet chips. Add eggs and blend. Toss in beet chips and mix together. Taste for salt and pepper preferences and adjust if needed.

Serve on lightly toasted whole wheat bread (I served it on toasted Brownberry Natural Wheat Bread…so good) with a slice of lettuce.

I don’t know if Auntie Maryann ever made egg salad, but I will think of her and the Wisconsin Lena’s every time I make mine.