SIMPLE SPRING BRUNCH
As we head into spring and summer entertaining, we love simple flavor combinations that highlight the best seasonal produce. For your next brunch (or dinner or midnight snack!), try one of these combinations:
Strawberries and Mint
Papaya, Raspberries, Lime Juice
Watermelon Radish & Snap Peas with Olive Oil, Dill & Salt
Cucumber, Red Onion, Toasted Sesame Seeds,Soy Sauce & Sesame Oil
Arugula, Parmesan & Raspberries
CREPES
For a lovely (and impressive) brunch or lunch, we love serving crepes. It’s pretty simple to make the batter from scratch (recipe here) but if you prefer a mix, we love the Williams Sonoma version. If these aren’t in your regular rotation, we suggest making the crepe pancakes themselves ahead of time - they can easily stack and won’t stick to one another. When guests, arrive, add fillings, fold, and warm in the oven. If you plan on making these even a few times per year, it’s worth it to invest in a crepe pan (also good for omelettes!).
Serve crepes alongside a bright salad using whatever seasonal ingredients you have on hand. We love arugula, parmesan wedges, red onion, and raspberries. Look for watermelon radish, edible flowers, or microgreens to add an extra pop of color and flavor.
SMOKED SALMON
For an elegant brunch, we love serving good smoked salmon with toast points or blinis and your favorite accoutrements—we like minced red onion, cream cheese or crème fraîche, capers, lemon wedges, and hard-boiled egg. To complement this, there are two directions you can take: one savory, one sweet. For a savory spread, consider adding a fresh salad, bowls of olives, parmesan crisps, a couple of dips, and a well-curated cheese board. If you'd prefer to highlight sweet flavors, offer jams, scones, a variety of toasts (sourdough and rye are especially nice), cultured French butter, and an abundance of fresh berries.
MINI SANDWICHES
This is a true crowd pleaser and very simple. Lay out two types of bread - we love mini brioche buns then either toasted sourdough or small baguettes. Next, add the main event: we suggest roast beef, honey ham, smokey turkey, and a vegetarian option, such as roasted red pepper or marinated mushroom. For cheese, we suggest something simple like swiss or cheddar, accompanied by a soft cheese, like brie or goat. Finally, add some cornichons or other pickles, as well as lettuce and tomato. Don’t forget the condiments - we like to offer mayonnaise, a couple types of mustard (dijon and honey, for example), olive oil and vinegar, and something “fun” (an onion jam, a fig compote etc).
NOODLES
We love surprising guests with a brunch that’s slightly unexpected. We love the idea of cold sesame noodles accompanied by a crunchy cucumber salad and pickled carrots. For this meal, we might greet guests with flatbreads with a variety of interesting dips or a crudite platter with peanut dip. You could also offer spring or summer rolls.