Let's Do Brunch

A good friend of mine is a Noonday Ambassador. Noonday is a pretty amazing company, and you should check it out here: Noonday Collection

I hosted a Noonday party, and wanted to do a brunch. Above you see the spread I had for all of the ladies to enjoy. I had a little bit of everything for everyone there. We had yogurt parfaits (pictured to the left), muffins, mimosas, frittata, and a toast bar. Below, I will go through what each part of this brunch bar consisted of.

Yogurt Parfaits:
Large containers of: plain greek yogurt and vanilla greek yogurt
Fruit: sliced kiwis, sliced strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries
Granola
I put the yogurt into a dish filled with ice, so that it stayed cold while on the table. I put out glass dessert bowls and guests could layer their yogurt parfaits as desired.

Toast Bar:
Sliced sourdough bread--I spread it on a cookie sheet and baked it at 350 until it was toasted but not crunchy
Spreadables: nutella, avocado, ricotta cheese
Toppings: 
For avocado toast: bacon, tomato, chili flakes, sea salt, TJ's balsamic glaze, pepitas, extra virgin olive oil
For ricotta toast: fresh culinary lavender, lemon zest, pistachios, honey
For nutella toast: bananas and strawberries
>>Guests combined these flavors as desired, which is always the fun of a build-your-own bar


Muffins>>I bought them. :)

Mimosas:
Several bottles of chilled dry sparkling wine
Juices to mix: cranberry, orange, fresh-squeezed grapefruit

Frittata: 
I had potatoes and asparagus in my produce box, so found this recipe on epicurious.

Ingredients: 
2 lbs potatoes (I had purple potatoes) peeled and grated
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
3/4 tsp pepper
2 TB veg. oil
3 TB unsalted buttter
4 medium shallots, sliced
6 eggs, room temp.
1 1/4 c half and half
1 tsp mustard powder
pinch of grated nutmeg
1 TB finely chopped tarragon
5 oz. grated Fontina cheese 
4 oz fresh goat cheese crumbles
1/2 lb asparagus, ends trimmed

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

1. 2. Toss shredded potatoes with 1 tsp of the salt, and 1/2 tsp of the pepper in a bowl. Then, place potatoes in a towel and wring out excess liquid, then set aside potatoes.
2. 3.  In a 10 inch cast-iron skillet, heat oil and 2 TB butter over medium-high heat until butter melts. Add potatoes and start forming into a crust by pushing the potatoes against the bottom and up the sides of the pan. The website suggests using a 1/2 cup dry measuring cup to press the potatoes (a spoon can slip and break the crust). Continue cooking for about ten minutes, continuing to press potatoes up the sides of the pan if they shrink down during cooking. Cook until the potatoes start to bind together and the crust begins to brown. Turn off heat and set aside.
3. 4. Melt remaining butter in another pan over medium heat. Add shallots and cook until translucent, for five to six minutes.
4. 5. Whisk eggs, half-and-half, mustard powder, nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl. Stir in tarragon and set aside.
5. 6. Sprinkle Fontina cheese, goat cheese, and sautéed shallots evenly over bottom of crust, then pour in egg mixture. Arrange asparagus on top, you will be able to see it so you can decorate with it as you like. 
6. 7. Bake until quiche is set and crust is well browned, 30-35 minutes. Let cool to room temperature before cutting into wedges and serving from the pan.
1. Enjoy! 

**A note from this former-picky-eater... I still am not an egg fan. But I tried this. And I loved it. The flavors of the onions, herbs, and cheese take over and it is so good.