Ellwood Thompson’s Blog

After spending the day with the hot August sun relentlessly beating down on me, while loading and unloading a truck chock full of delicious fruits and veggies from the Shenandoah Valley Produce Auction the last thing I wanted to do was go home and stand over a hot stove. Knowing my husband, Dave, would be returning late and hungry from classes at UVA, committed to eating local and inspired by the contents of the produce truck. I decided to cheat on “cooking” dinner and opted for heirloom tomato sandwiches with Goats R Us Hot Pepper Chevre on toasted Montana Gold Bread Co. 9-grain bread with chopped basil grown by Victory Farms.
I filled up my shopping cart with my local bread baked in Carytown, my cheese crafted in Blackstone VA, my basil grown in Hanover and my tomatoes from Shenandoah Valley. I also opted for a few other local goodies, Afton Mountain’s Blue Mountain Brewery’s Rockfish Wheat Summer Weiss Beer, I can not even begin to write a beer review like Coach Todd Taylor featured elsewhere on this blog but I can say one thing, this beer is just plain yummy and a perfe3ct sidekick for a summer meal such as tomato sandwiches, a dozen Shenandoah Family Farms Eggs, and a Jar of Fuller’s Mustard from Virginia Beach so I could whip up some deviled eggs as a side dish to our sandwiches.
I proceeded to the check out with my basket full of local goodies. As the cashier was scanning my items she looked up at me after ringing up my mustard and asked, “Do you know how much that mustard is?” “7.99” I replied. “Wow! Is it worth it?” she questioned. “Every penny!” I replied and here is why:
I enjoy cooking and even pass myself off as a fairly good cook from time to time, but really my secret is the ingredients I use and not my skill. Fuller’s Mustard is really one of those ingredients that allows me to receive raving reviews of any recipe I conjure up using their mustard. For example deviled eggs.

So here is the super easy recipe that will have your dinner guests in awe of your culinary expertise:

Hard boil eggs (you guys know the drill, bring enough water to a boil to cover the eggs, place eggs in water, cover pot and wait 15 minutes. Drain hot water, rinse eggs in cold water until they are cool to the touch, crack on counter, roll in your hands to remove egg shells.)

Slice eggs in half lengthwise, remove yolks and place into mixing bowl, mix in a tablespoon per dozen eggs of both Fullers mustard and mayonnaise, I used homemade mayonnaise to keep it as local as possible but veganaise also makes a tasty devil egg if you don’t have any home made mayo laying around. Mix together and return to the hollowed out portion of the egg, sprinkle with paprika, top with olives or any other garnish of your choosing.

The secret to these eggs is not culinary skill but the perfect flavor of locally produced grass fed pasture raised eggs and Fuller’s Mustard. I promise they will be a hit rather you bring them to a potluck gathering or serve them as a special side dish to a family meal. Sit back and listen to people rave about your deviled eggs being the best they ever tasted. Secure in the fact that your secret is the ingredients is safe with me.