I’ve coined a new phrase for this time of the year – Brunch Season. Passover, Easter, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and Graduations are all celebrated during the lovely spring months of April, May and June. And in my house, it’s high season for brunches with family and friends. Here is my Brunch Season Survival Guide…
Make your culinary efforts go a long way with dips, sauces and salads. These can be prepared ahead of time, are easily doubled (or tripled) to accommodate large parties and are perfect served at room temperature. This season I’m scouring my local farmers market to find the freshest, locally-sourced ingredients to make some of my crowd-pleasing favorites like pea shoot pesto, layered Mediterranean dip, spring tomato salad with burrata, homemade ricotta and roasted carrot and cauliflower wheat berry salad. I’ll be sharing these on the blog in the coming weeks.
It takes a village to feed an army. Do not be shy about asking guests to bring something to contribute or taking them up on their offer when they ask, “What can I bring?” Drinks, appetizers and desserts are my favorite party essentials to delegate. I’m a little protective of the main course and prefer to have complete creative control over this portion of the menu. However, I typically work around a theme and don’t hesitate to let my guests know so they can plan their contributions/dishes accordingly.
My favorite word associated with brunch? Champagne. My second favorite? Buffet. You do not have to present a fancy, formally set table to make an impression on your guests. If you want to use your wedding china and antique silver, please do. They will look fabulous at the start of the lovely buffet set-up. Allowing guests to serve themselves is perfectly acceptable. Simple, special details like handmade napkin ties and fresh, fragrant flowers, herbs and greenery will give your event a personal touch that guests will appreciate and remember.
And the best part of all? Hosting a (virtually) fuss-free brunch means more time for you to relax and enjoy the celebration with family and friends.
Happy Brunching!
Marcy