I originally planned this little get-together to be my first Sunday Brunch on the Patio but as often happens with Spring in New England, the weather did not cooperate.
Looking out the window at the grey clouds, hints of blue sky are peaking through, almost daring me to set the table on the patio.
Inside or out, there was no need to worry because I know that when you put good people and food together, it doesn’t really matter where you are, a great time is pretty much guaranteed.
Sunday Brunch has always been a special affair for me. There’s just something cool about eating ‘two’ meals at once. Although Sundays were typically lazy, following a ritual of waking late, making coffee and reading the paper, there was no cell phone, Facebook or binge watching distractions. But Sunday did follow Saturday night …
Back in my wild days, Brunch was always one of my favorite meals to eat out. After a fun Saturday night, it was a good excuse to get the gang back together and laugh about our adventures the night before over a cornucopia of food and Mimosa’s.
When I lived on Nantucket in the early 80’s, I looked forward to my Sundays. I had the good fortune to work at the Compass Rose Restaurant & Bar at the Airport so I got to see a lot of the comings and goings on the Island.
I’m a morning person by nature so I loved working the 6 – 11 am shift. I never tired of peddling my bike down Old South Road out to the airport through the damp morning mist, the briny smell of the ocean air filling my nostrils. As I sped along I got the first glimpse of the large, fiery orb of the Sun rising up, from what seemed like just off the edge of the Island. At the airport, I served many celebrities of the day; Jackie Onassis, Mr. Rogers, Joey Heatherton, Perry King, Louise Lasser (Mary Hartman), John Shea and so many more. It was fun and exciting. But Sunday Brunch was still my favorite.
I would grab a copy of the Sunday Times at The Hub and would either land at the Compass Rose, Arno’s or the Atlantic Cafe, order my version of Brunch, spread the paper out and get lost in the news of the day. Sometimes a few like-minded friends would join me but I was just as happy solo. Such a simple activity but I cherish those memories and the feelings they evoke.
Today, every day seems ‘busy’. We read our news on our phones or tablets while rushing around ‘going’ and ‘doing’. As much as I enjoy checking out new restaurants, I’m definitely old school in that I prefer having friends and family over where the mood is casual, time is irrelevant and the conversations flow. Feeling the warmth and hearing the laughter around me is simply the best.
I think this goes back to my Italian heritage. Growing up in a large Italian family where every week we made a pilgrimage to my Grandmothers for Sunday Dinner.
There were lots of hugs and perfume laden kisses. And of course, a lot of food. I’m amazed to this day at how easily my grandmother handled the logistics of feeding anywhere from 10 to 30 relatives who would drop-in on any given Sunday. And she did it effortlessly.
Spending time at my grandmothers was sensory overload; seeing the enormous spread of food, hearing the loud but loving ‘bickering’ that would stream from the kitchen. The Boston Red Sox game playing in the background, the men gathered around the TV in the Den watching their beloved team. And the wonderful smells. Walking into my grandmother’s apartment, which was big and roomy, you were greeted by the aroma of the always present pot of tomato sauce simmering on the stove; it was intoxicating.
My grandmother’s kitchen was heated by a gas stove. I remember walking into the kitchen from a day of shopping or visiting with relatives, our way lit by the dim glow of the nightlight above the kitchen counter, the Frigidaire softly humming in the background and the faint smell of propane from the stove was strangely comforting.
Grammy lived on the second and third floors of an old, but well kept three-decker. My mother and most of her siblings were born on the third floor. This was the Hub of our family and I absolutely loved spending time with my grandmother as a kid.
I have fun memories of helping her make pasta. She would hand cut them and hang the strips on a rack to dry. Her ‘homemades’ had a texture I’ve yet to experience again and her baked chicken was savory, the meat so tender it just fell off the bones, her sauce was simple yet delicious.
She also made the absolute best meatballs in the world. They had a fine consistency with perfectly sized bits of garlic that would create tasty little explosions with every bite. One of my biggest regrets is that for all the time I spent with my grandmother I never learned her ‘recipe’ for those meatballs. A perfect example of where youth was sadly wasted on the young.
Simple foods with big bold flavors that never go out of fashion. And if you were lucky enough to stay into the evening, which we usually did, we would all help in making over-stuffed sandwiches with fresh cold cuts layered between crusty Italian bread from Rico’s Market. I miss my grandmother but I am so thankful I have these memories that are so dear to my heart.
My upbringing taught me that family is everything, no matter how much they try your patience at times, and preparing fresh, flavorful food was one of the sincerest ways to show your love. And this is why it gives me such great pleasure to gather friends and family around the table for a meal. Whether it’s Sunday Brunch or a Cookout on the Patio, I feel in some small way that I’m carrying on a piece of my grandmother’s tradition.
For me, a house truly becomes a home when it is filled with people you love, good food and drink and lots of laughter.
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This was an easy Sunday Brunch to pull together as I did most of the prep ahead of time leaving me fresh and ready to spend leisurely time with my family and friends.
BRUNCH MENU
Mint Juleps
Coffee
Melon
Strawberries
Garlic Roasted Asparagus
Parmesan Hash Brown Cups
Eggs Benedict Casserole
Chocolate Bark with
Salt & Carmel Gelato
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Parmesan Roasted Asparagus:
Serves 4-5
1/2 lb Asparagus, fresh
3 cloves Garlic
1/2 tsp Black pepper, fresh ground
1/2 tsp Salt
2 tbsp Parmesan cheese
Olive oil
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
Trim the Asparagus: Hold a stock in each hand and bend until is snaps in half. Keep the ‘tip’ and through the thick stock away.
Spread the Asparagus in a thin layer on top of the foiled baking sheet.
Either spray the asparagus lightly with a coat of olive oil using a spray bottle such as a ‘Misto’ spritzer or drizzle olive oil over the Asparagus, sprinkle with salt, pepper, garlic, and parmesan cheese. Toss the asparagus with your hands until each stalk is coated and spread them out into an even layer again. Drizzle / Spray olive oil over the Asparagus one more time.
Bake for 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve immediately.
Parmesan Hash Brown Cups
Serves 12
4 Green onions, chopped
1 bag Hash brown potatoes, frozen
1/2 tsp Pepper
1 tsp Sea salt
2 tsp Olive oil
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
Defrost the potatoes overnight in the fridge.
Grease non-stick muffin tins with coconut oil or olive oil.
Press/squeeze potatoes dry in a large mixing bowl with paper towels.
Mix all the ingredients together in the bowl.
Scoop into muffin tin and press with spatula or a spoon.
Bake 50-60 minutes at 400 degrees until crispy.
Eggs Benedict Casserole
Serves 12
6 English muffins
3 tbsp butter
12 oz good quality, fully cooked ham, cubed
4 green onions white and light green parts sliced
4 oz sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
8 large eggs
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tbsp yellow mustard
1 1/2 tsp salt
pinch cayenne pepper
1/2 cup fresh chives chopped
3 large egg yolks
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
pinch salt
1 stick unsalted butter melted
Cut the English Muffins into cubes. Spread on a baking sheet and broil in the oven until lightly browned.
Butter (2 tablespoons) a 9×13 casserole dish and spread the toasted English muffin cubes into the bottom of the dish.
Heat a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat and melt the remaining tablespoon of butter in the skillet. Sauté the ham and green onions for about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the ham starts to brown.
Layer the cooked ham and green onions on top of the English muffins.
Top the ham layer with the shredded cheddar cheese.
Whisk together the eggs, milk, sour cream, mustard, salt and cayenne and evenly pour the mixture over the casserole.
Cover the dish with foil and refrigerate overnight.
Remove the dish from the refrigerator about an hour before you plan to bake it.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Bake the casserole for 30 minutes, covered with foil.
Remove the foil and continue to bake for another 15 – 20 minutes, or until the casserole starts puff up and the top is browning.
While the casserole bakes, make the hollandaise by placing the egg yolks, lemon juice and salt in a blender. Blend on high for a few seconds. Set the blender to low and through the hole in the middle of your blender lid, pour the melted butter in a slow steam into the egg yolk mixture. Cover the hole and blend the hollandaise on high-speed for about 1 minute. Taste, add a little more lemon and salt if needed, and serve immediately with the Casserole.
Top the Eggs Benedict with Hollandaise sauce and chopped fresh chives.
Mint Juleps by the Pitcher
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup fresh mint leaves
1 cup bourbon
4 cups sparkling water
Fresh Mint Sprigs
In a medium saucepan stir together sugar and water. Heat and stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat. Stir in 1 cup mint. Let stand for 1 hour; remove and discard mint.
Transfer syrup to a small bowl; cover and chill several hours or overnight.
To serve, in a pitcher stir together the syrup and bourbon. Stir in sparkling water.
Serve over ice with fresh mint sprigs.