Farm to Table: Spring Brunch

Living in Northern California provides an endless supply of fresh produce, but nothing compares to shopping at our local farmer's markets. I have a few weekend favorites haunts and recently let the their offerings dictate my Sunday brunch menu. I'm crazy for brunch, aren't you? It's the perfect pairing of savory and sweet and ultimate weekend indulgence.

I came up with a few recipes that could easily be customized for any season. Just switch out whatever fresh fruits and veggies are staring at your local farm stand and settle in for a feast.

Nearly everything (save for the coffee beans and bubbly) was sourced from the farmer's market. Flowers, blood orange mimosas, homemade granola with dried apricots and local honey, veggie frittata and individual blueberry and pear pies. Have I missed anything? What's on your brunch menu?

Here are the recipes for a fresh farm to table brunch:

Vegetable Frittata

Six large eggs
2 large leeks
5 medium red potatoes
1 head purple cauliflower
1 head kale
1 cup shredded greyere cheese
1 medium shallot
6 sprigs French thyme
butter
olive oil

Preheat oven for 400 degrees. Dice potatoes, cauliflower and shallot. Place veggies in a bowl and toss coat with olive oil, salt and pepper and French thyme. Spread on a baking sheet and roast for 20-25 minutes.

Slice leeks. De-rib and slice kale. Saute leeks and kale in a pan with a bit of butter and olive oil until leeks are translucent and kale is wilted, then set aside.

Whisk together eggs, add about a 1/3 cup water and mix well. Add cheese, all vegetables and mix again. Melt a tablespoon of butter in a cast iron skillet, spread butter around skillet. Pour egg/veggie mix into the skillet and bake in a 375 degree oven for about 20-25 minutes. When frittata is puffed up and beginning to brown you'll know it's done. Serve directly from the skillet.

Lisa's Exceptional Granola

My step mom, Lisa, makes hands-down the best granola ever. Seriously, it's good and addictive. She has generously agreed to share this with my readers. Thanks, Lisa.

2 lb box of old fashioned oats 

½ lb of sesame seeds 

3 cups chopped Pecans 

2 ½  cups of sunflower seeds (can also use some pumpkin seeds as part of this measurement if you like)

1 cup chopped almonds

¾ lb of dark brown sugar (make sure you don’t leave lumps)

2 tsp of cinnamon

¾ lb of butter melted 

2 tablespoons of vanilla (add to melted butter for easier mixing)

*Optional 1 ½ lb dried fruit

Mix all dry ingredients in a very large mixing bowl. Then add butter/vanilla mix in a circular motion to spread more evenly and mix thoroughly. Spread mixture in a large lasagna pan and place in a 350 degree oven. I stir every 10 minutes to keep outer edges from burning and bake until golden brown (usually 30-40 minutes but depends on size of pan and your particular oven). Cool the mixture and add dried fruit of your choice.


I love it over plain greek yogurt, drizzled with honey and a handful of dried apricots.

Individual Fruit Pies

If you are not familiar with Sherry Page, then let me be the first to introduce you to her beautiful world of food love. She hosts epic culinary getaways and shares so many of her recipes on her website. I highly recommend mastering her galette recipe. I use it all year long. Here I've just put the fruit filling of a galette into an individual baking dish and cut out butterflies from the dough. It's spring after all and I knew Emerson would appreciate it.

Soup Monday: Potato, leek and mushroom

Last Friday, we spent the day in San Francisco to celebrate my birthday and started with lunch at Absinthe. It was a lovely meal, as usual, but the highlight was a delicate soup of pureed potato, leek, green garlic and mushrooms. Naturally, the soup lover in me knew I would have to try my hands at my own version. My husband and I teamed up to piece together this recipe and we were quite pleased with the results. It's fresh and flavorful and, let's face it, pretty.

Ingredients
1 lb. mushrooms, sliced
2 lbs. buttercream potatoes, pealed and diced
2 medium sized leeks, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1-2 cups milk
1-2 cups heavy cream
bushell of watercress
1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
salt and pepper
butter
olive oil
fresh bread crumbs (recipe below)

Soup
Boil potatoes in salted water until fork tender. While potatoes are boiling, saute mushrooms in a tablespoon of butter a tablespoon of olive oil until soft, set aside. Saute leeks in tablespoon of butter until translucent (do not brown), add garlic just before leeks are finished cooking, turn off heat and set aside. Drain potatoes and rinse under cold water.

Add potatoes and leeks to a blender and puree, adding milk until a very smooth consistency is achieved. Season to taste. Transfer to a bowl.

Add mushrooms and any remaining water from its pan to a blender and puree, adding cream until a very smooth consistency is achieved. Season to taste. Transfer to a bowl.

Watercress oil
Rinse bushell of watercress, remove stems. Place in a blender, add tablespoon of olive oil, bit of salt and pepper and lemon juice. Blend until smooth.

Fresh croutons
Cut day old (or several days old in our case) baguette into very small cubes. There will be delicate croutons. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast for several minutes at 400 degrees. Keep an eye on these.

Pour potato puree into a bowl, then pour a smaller amount of mushroom puree into the center of the potato puree, add a few croutons and drizzle with watercress oil.

Creative Crush: Simplicity with Kimberly of Around the Table at Blackberry Farm

Each Friday, a special blogger friend shares their current Creative Crush - whatever is cause for inspiration at this very moment. This week, I'm happy to have Kimberly from Around the Table at Blackberry Farm and Kimberly Taylor Images. She was another Alt roomie and an instant friend. Kim is whip-smart, funny and oh so talented with that camera of hers. Her crush on simplicity was a much needed reminder for me this week. I've been soaking in these images and taking deep breaths all morning. Thanks, Kim.

Lately, simplicity has inspired me.  I find people and images that really "see" the beauty in the everyday moments around us tend to make my heart beat a bit faster.  I am blessed with a friend that I met in my favorite place - France - last year.  From the moment I met her, I was drawn to her calm peaceful manner and her incredible outlook on the world around her.  She is so full of love and of kindness, and since meeting Nadia, I have enjoyed reading each and every post that she shares on her blog - La Porte Rouge.  Her images are often haunting - their lighting magical.  She lives in her personal little slice of heaven with her husband and a menagerie of beloved animals.  She truly sees the beauty around her - taking long silent walks in nature to listen to the life her countryside holds.  Every time I read her beautiful words, she inspires me to slow down and find the beauty in the silence that is around me.  I find I tend to carve out more time with my own animals as of late, and see simple things that I hadn't truly noticed before.  

One of my favorite quotes is "Gratitude turns what we have into enough".  I love that quote, and I feel like it is the epitome of the way my sweet friend Nadia lives her life.  And it is how I aspire to live mine.

  

All images by Nadia Dole.

Reunion style for the bohemian gal

Rachel Zoe Dress, blouse and jeans, Tory Burch tunic and shorts.

It's getting real, friends. My 20th high school reunion is on the calendar and I'll be attending this summer. This will be a first for me. I'm mostly excited because it means two of the nearest and dearest to my heart will make the trek from New Zealand and New York for the festivities. And honestly, I'm one of those people who generally enjoyed high school. So gathering to rehash and catch up doesn't sound all-together horrible.

And since it seems I've purged all the black velvet from my teenage years I'll clearly have nothing to wear. I'm not going to lie. I did like the idea of wearing a vintage (I do believe I just referred to my own wardrobe as vintage) prom dress but one girlfriend, who will remain unnamed, warned me that I had "better check myself" when I suggested it on a group email.

Consider myself properly checked and now, won't you help me plan a proper outfit? Over the next few months I'll post a series of round ups. Special pieces I think would be fun to wear for a walk down memory lane. Considering the location of my reunion, I'm pretty sure I'll be leaning toward cocktail attire, but I think it's fun to consider all the options.

I'm loving all three of these choices. Especially the Rachel Zoe number. Beachy waves for the hair and some rose-gold jewelry would help achieve that effortless glam look. Which would you choose?

P.S. This reminds me of a game we played in high school. Flipping through awful teen mags during prom season we'd compare two dresses - each one hideous in it's own special way - and throw out the challenge "if you had to wear one - which would it be?" So fun. It's also a good time with bridal magazines.

Meyer lemon three ways

It's citrus season and this year is delivering like no other. I'm adding blood oranges to salads and cocktails and am basically consuming my weight in Meyers. Lucky for me my best friend has a total overachiever of a tree she's kept me in good supply for the past month. I never turn down an offer for fresh produce, in case you need to unload some.


First I made lemon curd, which lead to a batch of classic lemon cookies with a tangy lemon glaze, which naturally led to a pitcher of lemon and spearmint-infused water. It was pretty sinful, really. And this is all to say I'm launching a new regular feature. One ingredient, activity or theme done three ways. You had a taste of my 3 Ways series last week with cupcake icing over at Camille Styles. Now, it's Meyer lemon time.


Here are the recipes. Now go shake a tree and let me know what lemon-flavored dish you create.


Lemon Curd
Adapted from RealSimple via Apollinas stunning citrus cake


Ingredients
4 large eggs
1 cups sugar
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
pinch of salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces


In a heatproof bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon zest and juice, and salt. Add the butter. Set the bowl over (not in) a saucepan of simmering water and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture has thickened (like the consistency of mayonnaise), 15 to 20 minutes. This will take a while and your arms will get tired. Be forewarned.


Pour the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium bowl.  Place a piece of parchment or wax paper directly on the surface of the lemon curd and refrigerate until completely cool, at least 2 hours and up to 2 days.

Old-fashioned lemon sugar cookies

Via Luscious Lemon Desserts

Ingredients

1 2/3 cups sugar

2 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 sticks unsalted butter, room temp

1/3 cup finely grated lemon zest

1 large egg

2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice 

Preheat over to 400 degrees, butter 2 cookie sheets.

Stir together 2/3 cup of the sugar and 1 teaspoon of the lemon juice in a small bowl. Set aside

Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt into a medium bowl.

Beat the butter, the remaining cup of sugar and 1 teaspoon of lemon juice, and lemon zest with a mixer on medium-high in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add the egg and beat until well blended. Reduce the speed to low, add the flour mixture and lemon juice and beat until just blended.

Form balls with tablespoonfuls of dough,  roll them in the lemon/sugar mixture until coated and then flatter each ball with the bottom of a small glass until about 2 inches round and 3/8 inch thick. Sprinkle each one with a pinch of lemon/sugar mixture.

Bake for 8-10 minutes, until the edges are lightly browned. Let cook and then coat with lemon glaze.

Lemon Glaze

Via Luscious Lemon Desserts

1 cup confectioners' sugar

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest

Pinch of salt

Stir ingredients together in a small bowl. Let stand for 10 minutes before using. Dip each cookie in glaze, twist with the wrist and you lift the cookie out of the bowl so any drips fall back onto the cookie. Set aside to dry.

Lemon and Mint-Infused Water

Thinly slice three to four Meyer lemons, place in a pitcher of water with equal parts mint. Chill for two hours. Option, squeeze the juice of one additional lemon just before serving.

Weekend snap: courage (is rewarded)

This weekend was a whirlwind of activity. It was all fun stuff and I won't bore you with a laundry list, but I have to share the takeaway. On Saturday night, my husband and I attended the annual John Steinbeck Award, presented by the Center for Steinbeck Studies at San Jose State University.

Each year, the award is given to an artist or activist whose work exemplifies the values articulated in Steinbeck's writing. It's always awe-inspiring to see it play out and to watch Thomas Steinbeck talk about significance of his father's writing.

This year, Rachel Maddow was the recipient and I was completely taken with her insane intelligence, wit and charm. She sat on the same stage I walked across during my own college graduation and discussed the need for real journalism (i.e. professional reporters and editors) and the lasting societal impact that a generation spent at war has had on U.S. military families and the bizarre lack of impact it has had on the rest of us civilians. It was fascinating, stimulating and thought provoking. Exactly what I needed. She also talked about her love of cocktails. She's a gin gal, for the record.

As I sat there, directly behind her proud parents and partner, I was struck by the power of courage. Courage found in those who choose to fight for our freedoms, courage in those who live honest and open lives, despite the hatred and fear that abounds, courage required to truly pursue one's passions. It was reassuring to see someone's courage being rewarded.

It was good timing since I had spent the day in San Francisco enjoying a picnic with Melissa and our daughters in preparation for our back-to-back auditions for the Listen to Your Mother event. I sat in a room and read my own writing aloud to two very generous and kind ladies. My hands didn't shake and my voice didn't quiver. That's a big deal for me. That is not something I would have done 10 years ago.   It was an enormous act of courage on my part. And my reward? A Miette birthday cake at Chrissie Field. Pretty great, right? It was a very sweet early celebration thanks to Melissa.

The entire weekend confirmed for me that acting courageously and a bit out of my comfort zone every single day provides unmeasurable and unpredictable rewards. Are you doing anything that makes you slightly uncomfortable these days? Wanna tell me about it? I hope so. Have a great week, friends.

P.S. It also came up in cocktail conversation that Thom Steinbeck (I can't just call him Thom) and his wife, Gail, live in Santa Barbara and you know I've been dreaming of a life there going on 20 years. So I asked him to lobby my husband on the idea. And he did! See what being brave can do? Now if we can just find jobs down there we'll be all set.

P.P.S. I'm modeling my favorite Jeanne Oliver tunic on her site today along with three other lovely ladies. Jeanne designs beautiful clothing and handbags. Check out her creations.

Icing cupcakes at Camille Styles and some bubbly tips

I'm thrilled to be featured over at Camille Styles today with some tips on ways to ice a cupcake in three iconic styles. Please do check it out and let me know what you think. It's my first tutorial and I'm pretty jazzed to do more.

Also, it should be noted that this entire project could not have happened without my girlfriend, Melanie. She graciously took the reigns while I photographed each process and our two daughters ran circles around us. Then we rewarded ourselves with disgusting amounts of buttercream and chocolate ganache. There is no photographic evidence of that ugly scene.

And finally, I'm joining Michelle, Melissa and Danielle in a bit of a high/low champagne debate. In case you need some last minute tips on Oscar-worthy bubbly this weekend. I'd love to hear about your favorite bottles. But first, a little story.

For my 33rd birthday, my husband surprised me with an impromptu weekend in LA and a luxurious stay at the Beverly Wilshire. It happened to be Oscar weekend, which meant a few star sightings, but even more star assistant sightings. The amount of frantic young people wheeling garment racks and rolling make up gear was mind-boggling. It was such fun to people watch and imagine which bigwigs must have bee staying next door.

But the hands-down best part of the trip was the day we spent lounging with a capital L in a pool-side cabana. It was an extraordinary experience that began with a bucket full of mini Pommery POP champagne bottles. I thought I might cry with joy. It was over-the-top fun and an experience I would love to re-reenact with girlfriends someday. Anyone with me?

That's my long-winded way of saying that those individual bottles of POP are the absolute cutest and perfect for establishing a festive mood. But for everyday (and I do believe in everyday, for no other reason than because) bubbly enjoying, nothing beats my Roederer. It runs about $20 a bottle but tastes pretty luxe. I'll be sipping it couch-side while watching the red carpet arrivals this Sunday night. Not exactly the height of Bev Hills luxury but you will not catch me complaining.

What will you be sipping on this weekend?