This is a recipe for beautiful deviled eggs, but before we get to it, I'll ask that you let me tell you about the last couple of days first. I know the eggs are distracting, I mean, look at them! If I could give you one right through the screen, I would.

But the setting we enjoyed them in was even better. This past weekend I saw coastal wildflowers blooming purple and yellow, misty morning vistas, colorful buoys and wave-whipped fishing boats. I saw a friendly covey of quail, flashy red-winged blackbirds, sleek, needle-nosed blue herons, and a single jack rabbit with ears tall and straight. There was crystallized honey the color of creamy butterscotch, and seals bobbing amidst the rocks at the surf line. I was visiting friends in Bolinas - the perfect overnight. We had a tasty dinner of mostly leftovers, morning coffee by a fire. When it came time to fall asleep, it was so quiet compared to nights in San Francisco, all I could hear was my heart beating. Even better than the peace and quiet, I came home with a sack of fruits from a monstrous avocado tree. These deviled eggs were part of our dinner spread. Leftover from Friday's lunch, they made the trip north with me.

The filling is mixed, mashed, and fluffed into a light herb-flecked dollop. Toasted almonds add the crunch, chive flowers bring the pretty. They're not technically deviled, as there is no paprika or mustard in this version, but you can always tweak the filling to your liking with either.

I pulled over to look up the coast from the cliffs above Stinson Beach looking north. The morning grey had yet to clear. The next shot is the view when I opened my eyes in the morning from perhaps the best guest room ever. And my leftover box packed for Bolinas - soup, eggs, Josey Baker Bread, various toppings and condiments.