A Brunch Menu to
Celebrate Spring!

For me, brunch is the quintessential form of relaxed entertaining, and one of my favorite ways to celebrate the arrival of Spring with family and friends. Key to keeping things easy and laid back for your guests (and yourself!) is to serve a buffet of delish and easy to prepare dishes. Everyone can serve themselves and you get to relax and enjoy yourself as well!

I’ve put together some new Spring-inspired brunch worthy recipes that include a bit of advance preparation to save you time and stress. All you need is to add a few items, maybe a prepared fruit salad and some ready-made sweets like scones, cinnamon rolls, or whatever pastries you like.

So, let’s get started!

Brunch and bubbly libations seem to go hand in hand, but instead of the usual Mimosa or Bellini try my spin on the classic French 75. The Saratoga 75 is also a gin based champagne cocktail but has the added sweetness - and a bit of a kick - from the edition of Elderflower Liqueur. You can make this drink in batches to serve multiple cocktails quickly or set up a bar station and let your guests serve themselves. And be sure to have some non-alcoholic drink options as well.

The Strawberry Balsamic Lemon Tartine is a cute little open-faced sandwich that looks as good as it is to nosh on and has a Toga twist as well! Sicilian Lemon Balsamic Vinegar from the Saratoga Olive Oil Company is reduced and mixed with fresh strawberries and piled on toasted bread slathered with a mix of ricotta cheese and basil. Yum!

The Artichoke and Spring Onion Strata is a savory main dish casserole that you put together the night before. All you do the next morning is bake it, saving you time and stress. Artichokes and Spring Onions combined with bread cubes and cheese are baked in an egg custard to bubbly golden perfection. What could be better than that?

I hope you and your guests enjoy these recipes. As I always say, have fun in your kitchen, cooking and making drinks for the people you love, and remember...

it doesn’t have to be perfect, it just has to taste good!

Strawberry Lemon
Balsamic Tartine

• 1 loaf of Italian bread cut into 1/2 thick slices

• 1 lb. of diced fresh strawberries

• 1/2 cup of Saratoga Olive Oil Co. Sicilian Lemon Balsamic Vinegar

• 1 & 1/2 cups of ricotta cheese

• 1 tablespoon of fresh minced basil or 
1 teaspoon of dried basil

• 1/2 teaspoon of salt

• 1/4 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper

Directions: Preheat your oven to 350 F. Arrange the bread slices in a single layer on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for about 5 minutes until lightly toasted. Remove and cool.

Pour the vinegar into a small saucepan and reduce it by about half over medium heat. Allow it to cool a bit. In a mixing bowl combine the strawberries and vinegar reduction. In another bowl mix the ricotta cheese with the basil, salt and pepper.

Spread each bread slice with a generous tablespoon or more of the seasoned ricotta and top each with a tablespoon of the balsamic strawberries. Arrange on a serving platter. Chill until party time.

Artichoke and
Spring Onion Strata

• 1 tablespoon of olive oil

• 1 cup of thinly sliced scallions

• Two 15-ounce cans of artichoke hearts, drained and coarsely chopped

• 1 & 1/2 teaspoons of minced garlic

• 1 & 1/2 teaspoons of dried thyme

• 8 large eggs

• 3 cups of whole milk or 
half and half

• 2 cups of shredded Italian 
blend cheese

• 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese

• 1 teaspoon of salt

• 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper

• 1 loaf of French bread cut into 1-inch cubes to make about 8 to 9 cups

Directions: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and add the scallions, garlic, thyme, and artichokes, sauté until the onion is soft and translucent. Remove from the heat and allow it to cool. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and milk or half and half together. Stir in 1 & 1/2 cups of the Italian cheese blend, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Add the cooled artichoke mixture and the bread cubes and stir gently to combine. Transfer the mixture to a buttered 9x13 baking dish, sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Cover and refrigerate overnight. When ready to bake, remove from refrigerator, uncover and preheat your oven to 350 F. Bake for about 50 to 60 minutes or until the egg and bread mixture is set and lightly browned. Allow to cool for 15 minutes before serving.

Saratoga 75 Cocktail

Ingredients for one cocktail:

• 1 ounce of your favorite gin (I prefer a London Dry Gin like Beefeater, but you can use one of the many artisanal gins that are available nowadays).

• 1/2 ounce of fresh lemon juice

• 1/2 ounce of Elderflower liqueur

• Chilled Brut Champagne

Directions: Measure the gin, lemon juice, and Elderflower Liqueur into an ice filled shaker, secure the lid and shake it like crazy. Strain into a champagne flute and top off with chilled champagne. You can make this drink in batches as well. In a pitcher combine the gin, lemon juice, and Elderflower Liqueur for as many drinks as you think you will need. Chill the mixture in the refrigerator. To serve, fill each flute about 1/3 full and top off with Champagne. Cheers to springtime!