A Spring Brunch

This Easter we invited over several neighbors and friends to join us for brunch. All together there were 11 children and 10 adults. Every now and then I just like to cook up a mess of food for a mess of people. Generally, I try to make at least some tried and true recipes, but sometimes my need to create drives things. That's what happened this Easter. I just had a lot of ideas about things to make using Spring ingredients, so I ended up making several sweet and savory items. The experimentation resulted in some tasty outcomes. 


It will take a few posts to get to all my exciting food discoveries, but first here's the menu. Of course, I forgot to take pictures.


Besides having assorted coffees and teas, I set up a fruity drink station. Guests mixed their own concoctions from an assortment of juices and nectars, champagne, flavored selters, and garnishes of mint and blueberries. I included Triple Sec as well, but other fruity liqueurs (think Chambourd or Peach Schnapps) would be equally delicious. My favorite: rhubarb reduction, pear nectar, and champagne with a sprig of mint.


Coffee cake. Sam requested the sour cream coffee cake I occasionally make. I adapted the recipe, removing the gluten and dairy so that more guests could eat it. After finagling some with the batter, the end result was a delicious cake with a moist, delicate crumb, that noone could even tell was gluten-free. I will post the recipe for this in a separate post.


Hot cross buns. I like a nice sweet roll with tea, but I had never made these traditional Easter rolls before. I used a recipe with a brioche dough base from ArtisanBreadinFive.com with good results. Although time consuming, it was easier than I expected. Adults appreciated these while the kids, although seduced by the icing on top, were at times suprised by the spices, orange peel and currants inside. I used an oat/white wheat mixture for half of the flour. Very satisfying, especially warm.


Sugar cookies. The kids had fun decorating cookies in tulips, eggs, bunnies, and butterfly shapes. These are my absolute favorite type of cookie, with or without icing. Buttery, sweet, tender, with a mere hint of saltiness. I had to freeze the remainder to prevent myself from eating them all. 


Crepes Benedict. Poached eggs and an assortment of meats and veggies (guests picked their own combos), wrapped in a crepe and topped with creamy, lemony hollandaise sauce. Quite delicious. My favorite combo was ham, artichoke bottoms, tomato and scallion. Bacon, broccoli, and herbs were also available. 


I made a small batch of gluten-free crepes for folks who could not eat the regular ones. They seemed fine although perhaps not as tender. Since I needed the prepare about two dozen eggs, I cooked them partially the night before and stored them in a cold water bath in the fridge. The next day I popped them in simmering water briefly to heat through. It worked like a charm.


Asparagus with lemon-herb dressing (basil, parsley, chives, mint), pine nuts and goat cheese. It did not turn out to be what I had originally envisioned, but was tasty—even better the next day.



Roasted fingerling potatoes with pesto. I overcooked the potatoes a tad, but the concept was good and I would make it again. I love to throw pesto into all kinds of things.


Spinach and strawberry salad with rhubarb vinaigrette. I just could not omit rhubarb from a spring-themed menu, especially since my plants are already coming up and I still have some in the freezer from last year. I pondered making a rhubarb apricot filling for crepes and topping them with whipped mascarpone. I also considered preparing some kind baked french toast or bread pudding, but there were already too many sweet things. I stumbled upon the idea for dressing while perusing the internet. 


I began by making a rhubarb reduction then using it to make a sweet dressing with raspberry vinegar, poppy seeds, ginger, and cardamom. The dressing was quite good with the spinach and strawberries and topping of slivered almonds. The rhubarb reduction has many other uses. I'll do a post on this soon.


Quinoa pasta with ramps, garlic, white beans, and pancetta. Saw the ramps at the co-op and could not resist them. These wild leeks are really heralds of Spring for foragers here in VT. This made another great gluten-free entree. Quinoa pasta is quite nutritious and is far, far superior to other non-gluten varieties. Worth trying even if you can tolerate gluten.


Cheesy Grits and Corn Pudding. Saw a recipe for this in Country Living (which, incidentally I enjoy reading via iPad) and needed to try it. If you like creamy polenta you will like this. I added some chives and scallions. This needs to sit for 15-20 minutes before eating or the texture is weepy. Quite good at room temp.


Okay, I am looking at this and seeing the vastness of my limit-setting problem. But, hey I only go whole-hog like this once or twice a year. Tonight I am not cooking for anybody! Sam is in the kitchen as I write, making himself an egg and cheese burrito. He even offered to make one for me. Love it!