Bibb, Arugula & Butternut Squash Salad

Bibb, Arugula & Butternut Squash Salad

I’m usually known as the queen of entertaining. (Mind you, that is not a self dubbed title but one others have bestowed upon me.) That said, I’ve been out of practice. The pandemic, and other life situations (all good ones) have thrown a monkey wrench into our usual hosting schedule. And so, coming up with new recipes has been put on the back burner. However, a couple weekends ago we took the leap and hosted our friends/family for a small backyard lunch.

JuanCarlos had his mind set on making a paella ‘a la parilla’, which means on the grill, thus forcing us to be outside. We lucked out in the middle of NY October with glorious, sunny, warm weather. JuanCarlos has been making paellas for years but continues to research and study master paella makers in order to perfect his. Each one gets better and better. He loves making outdoor fires, and then hanging out with good friends to enjoy a glass of wine or two while he cooks.

With paella in the driver’s seat, the appetizers were riding shotgun and followed along in Spanish Tapas style. I made Stuffed Piquillo Peppers, Boquerones Skewers, Charcuterie/Cheese Board, Radishes with Salted Butter

But when it came to the salad, I veered off the Iberian road, and glad I did. It’s Fall and I felt like leaning into that season using roasted butternut squash. I make roasted spiced butternut squash slabs as side dish for my customers and decided to use similar spices but cut the squash into cubes and added a touch of maple syrup. In composing the salad in my head, I thought about all the other Fall inspired accompaniments that would not only pair well with the squash but would also provide a visual wow. So, a pop of dark red from dried cranberries, a toasty brown from pecans, a lovely green from pepitas, and slivers of red onion would all do the trick nicely. These don’t just deliver on the visual impact, each one also provides a different textual element that is key to making a salad, or any dish, interesting on the palate. Arugula was still fresh at the farmer’s market so I grabbed that for a hint of peppery punch that would counter balance the sweetness. For the dressing I borrowed the idea of using dates from another recipe, but of course changed it up a bit.

Can I just say how much I love this salad. It’s crisp. It’s earthy. It’s sweet. It’s peppery. It’s damn good, and I’m damn glad I made a ton so I could have leftovers for the next day.

I’m posting this now because I think it would make a wonderful salad for Thanksgiving. It hits all the marks and is the perfect counterpoint to the heaviness of a traditional Thanksgiving meal. Please give it try either as a green salad or swap out the lettuce with quinoa as the base. It could also work with pearl couscous as well.

Ingredients

2 Bibb/Boston lettuce
1 Arugula, bunch
1 medium Butternut Squash, approx 4 c cubed
1 c Dried Cranberries
1 c Pecans, toasted
1 c Pepitas, toasted
1/2 c Red Onion, thinly sliced
1/8 t Cayenne
1/8 t Cumin
1/8 t Cinnamon
2 T Maple Syrup
2 T oil

Dressing
4-5 Dates
3 T Red Wine Vinegar
1/2 c Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 t Honey (optional)
1 Garlic clove, crushed
lemon zest
1 T lemon juice
3 T water
salt, pepper to taste

Date Dressing Setup: Dates, lemon, garlic, red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper

Instructions

1. Peel and cube the butternut squash. Place on a roasting pan and season with oil, salt, pepper, cayenne, cumin and cinnamon.

2. Roast at 425 degrees until golden on one side. Then flip them and add the maple syrup and roast until golden on the other side. Remove from oven and let cool.

Roast until squash is tender and edges are browned.

3. Meanwhile, wash the Bibb lettuce and Arugula and dry them well.

4. Roast the pecans and pepitas slightly to enhance their nutty flavors. This can be done in 300 degree oven or on the stove. Just make sure to keep an eye on them as they can burn quickly.

5. Make the dressing by first rough chopping the dates, crushing the garlic and adding to a mini food processor along with lemon zest, salt and pepper. Blend until the dates are a small crumb.

6. Then add vinegar, oil, and lemon juice and blend until emulsified. Then drizzle in a bit of honey and blend again. Add water to thin out.

Place chopped dates, crushed garlic, lemon zest, salt and pepper into a mini food processor.

Blend until dates are small crumbs.

Once you add the oil and vinegar the dates will break down even more to create a creamy consistency.

7. Assemble the salad by placing the lettuces on a big platter and then sprinkle the sliced red onions, butternut squash, pecans, dried cranberries and pepitas all over the top of the lettuces.

I sometimes hold off on dressing an entire platter of salad in case there are leftovers I don’t want the remaining salad to get soggy. So, I let the guests add the amount of dressing they want to their plate. Do what feels right or works for you. But always serve it up with love.

Bibb, arugula salad with roasted butternut squash, dried cranberries, pecans, pepitas & date dressing

Serving it up with dressing on the side, and with plenty of love

I loved it so much that I expanded the idea to use it with quinoa for a customer side dish. Which by the way was such a hit, they texted me to say it was another winner. I just love getting those texts messages.

Quinoa with all the same ingredients as the salad… minus the lettuce.

Print Friendly Recipe

Green & Black: A Graphic Table Setting

To say I was nervous about hosting a small dinner party during the pandemic would be an understatement. I know most people have ventured into this territory many moons ago, but JuanCarlos and I have been super cautious. And rightfully so, since we know plenty of people who have had COVID, some of whom we were attempting to meet with until luckily we found out their positive status prior to gathering. We’ve had a few of those close calls so you can understand our hesitation. Thankfully, everyone we know has recovered and is fine.

With our caution has come both a sense of safety and a deep sense of isolation. Therefore, it was time to step out of our shell, out of fear and into joy again. And so we did. And indeed joy we felt. I spent the day preparing food and thinking about a table setting. (Well, it only took me that long because I had to stop to photograph everything, not because I made a feast.) Even though our dinner party total would only amount to 4, I wanted to make it feel a bit elegant and momentous given it would be the first time I’ve set our dining room table in over 2 years!! It’s the dead of winter here in NY, and the temps have been frightful. I have plenty of tablecloths that evoke Spring and Summer, even Fall vibes. But oddly enough not as many for Winter. I wanted the setting to be appropriate for the temperature but not feel cold.

I settled on a very graphic green and black table cloth that set a strong tone. Next was figuring out all the other elements that would complement without becoming overwhelming. Believe it or not, I had a hard time deciding on what napkin to choose. And that is saying a lot since I have a fairly large collection of napkins.

Please, no judgement. I’ve collected these over the years. And pre-pandemic, we entertained ALOT.

The black napkins seemed like an obvious choice but quite frankly there was plenty of black in the main cloth. Plus they wouldn’t have added anything to the party in the way of color dimension. White was clearly too stark and didn’t blend at all. Orange, as you can see, was way too shocking and garish, and would have been too many strong colors competing. Sometimes choosing a napkin is instantaneous, but this time around it took some thinking.

The orange and white ones felt too harsh of a contrast to me. The black might have worked but just felt Blah.

I landed on a multicolored stripe cotton napkin that softened the tablecloth’s intensity and added a whimsy of muted colors. Even though these napkins tend towards a springtime feel, their tonality was the ideal softening agent. To bridge that creamy base color in the napkins I decided to include a soft beige placemat.

Like Goldilocks and the Bears. This choice felt “just right”.

Since this was not going to be a formal dinner party, but an easy Saturday night with my sister, Alyssa and brother in law, Peter, no charger plates were needed. But a little bling was essential. Choosing white plates with a gold rim would help with that. Now that gold was introduced, adding the votive candle holders that I hand painted would finish off that golden touch.

Yes, those are OUI yogurt jars that I saved and hand painted with gold. I have a ton in silver too. I like how the design works with the movement of the tablecloth. Happy coincidence.

Votives provide a lovely low light glow, but I also like height. Which brings me to the candle sticks. Simple cut glass would add the height I wanted and also some sparkle without pulling attention away from everything else going on. Ugh, but now what color candle stick??? I must be out of entertaining practice because these decisions usual come to me in a flash. However, I do think showing this process helps to serve as a great demonstration of how a simple choice can change a look. And that there are no wrong decisions here. Just preferences. I had several choices; greyish silver, maroony purple, yellowy gold, or green. I chose the yellow gold, but any one of them would have worked just as well.

I might have immediately chosen the green since it was a perfect match, but for some reason I only had one.

Ok,
Tablecloth, check
Napkins, check
Napkin rings, check
Plates, check
Glassware, check
Candles, check
Let’s set a table…

When using placemats, sometimes I like turning them in other direction so they don’t cover as much of the tablecloth.

Gather all your elements. Once you see them all together the picture becomes clearer.

First layer down. I started with all the place settings in the center of the table, but right before our guests arrived I rearranged the seating.

To add some additional height, I went vertical with the napkin. Using a simple napkin ring and pulling the center of the fabric through to create an octopus-like vibe. It’s super simple but makes a visual impact.

This is a simple napkin style. For more options, check out my post entitled: Napkin Folding - 5 Basic Folds - Countless Options

I wasn’t serving any fish or seafood, but I did think the napkin resembled an octopus. It created the height I wanted and was playful.

I love how the whole table came together. It’s elegant but not fussy.

Finish with silver and glass ware, some florals and my first in-house pandemic table setting was in the books.

Some random thoughts:

I absolutely love the movement of this tablecloth. The big, graphic swirls are so eye catching. When you take in the whole print from above, with the flowers perfectly centered, the roots of the tree really come alive.

I also adore the details of this print. Every time I see the figures on this cloth I can’t help but to think of the famous Robin William’s line in The Bird Cage: “Who sets a table and doesn’t look at the bowls?” For those who know and love this movie, no explanation is needed. For those who don’t, I implore you to watch this very funny movie.

I hope this has inspired you to take a chance on setting a table with a super bold, very graphic, intensely strong tablecloth print. With the right complementary elements It can be fun and is sure to make a statement that will impress. The first thing my sister said was, “Wow!” Unlike me, who is clearly very wordy, she is a woman of few words, but in this case, only one was needed.

And in case you were wondering what we served… Here are a few images, and the menu.

Cheese Board

(Hot Peppers, Olives, Mini Bread Sticks, Majorero Pimentón Cheese, Mary’s Gone Crackers, Murcia al Vino Cheese, Dana’s Nuts: Spiced & Candied, Goat Cheese with dried herbs, Jammin’ Onion Jam, Manchego Añejo, Apple Paste)

Tomato Tartlet

Tomato/Avocado/Hearts of Palm Salad

Cauliflower, Sweet Potato & Chick Pea Curry with Basmati Rice

Roasted Spiced Carrots & Onions

Oven Roasted Chicken

Apologizes, I didn’t take photos of the last two items to share.

Cheese Board

featuring my Jammin’ Onion Jam and Dana’s Nuts: Spiced & Candied

Manchego & Murcia al Vino Cheeses &Onion Jam

Heirloom Tomato & Avocado Salad

Salad with Hearts of Palm & Broccoli Sprouts

Tomato Tartlets

A Summertime Cocktail Party with Neighbors

Hosting summer parties is such a joy. When the weather is superb, and the food is fine and the company is divine, well then, it’s simply sublime.

Such was the case with this summertime cocktail party with neighbors. Now before you start wondering, this was not a recent event, on the contrary. Usually whenever we host events my intention always is to share the festivities, and of course, the food choices/combos in a prompt, timely manner. Sometimes good intentions aren’t enough, which is why I never had a chance to post this event that took place back in 2019. That’s right, way back 2 years ago. At first, I felt remise not meeting my own self imposed ‘timely reporting duties’. But after some consideration, I am glad now about the delay. I think this post might have gotten lost in the soup given that none of us were entertaining in 2020, and therefore, could have been forgotten or overlooked. As I’ve often said, things happen exactly when they should. And so I believe this post is more timely presented now as we ponder hosting more gatherings during the warmer weather and for the upcoming Memorial Day Weekend.

Let me first start by setting the visuals for you. We live in the most charming little enclave of Hartsdale, NY known as Manor Woods. By its name you can imagine that we are nestled within decades old trees that tower above us 40-50 feet. Our ‘hood also sports 4 dead end courts which means no through traffic, and ultimately super quiet streets. (Minus all the dog barking.)

Our backyard tucked under towering trees.

Our front yard guarded by this majestic Oak Tree.

Looking down from our backyard, more trees.

No way out, but we don’t mind. We love it here.

And if those weren’t reasons enough to live here, the neighbors are something special. A diverse group of considerate, caring, joyous people that truly enjoy one another’s company and look out for each other. Which is why for the past several years we have been swapping hosting get togethers at one another’s homes. As I mentioned, the last one we hosted was during the summer of 2019, and the weather was simply flawless for a Friday night of food, drink, good conversation and laughter. There is something so special about just hanging and savoring the moment, as well as the food. Relaxed and easy going with no agenda but to chill.

Smiles all around.

We had a few more people than our original group which brought the headcount to 18. And it was great to see the camaraderie among all. For this type of event, buffet-cocktail style foods are ideal. Fill up a large table with a good variety of eats and let people pick and mingle as they may. I pulled from some of my favorites and had fun arranging the table from high to low, from hot to cold. For more tips on outdoor hosting, give a gander at 5 Key Steps to Hosting a Garden Party.

Florals don’t have to be fussy, just pretty.

Fill the table, and remember height adds dimension and interest.

Everyone finding their space and favorite drink so we can all catch up.

Back then dipping was encouraged. And no, there wasn’t a line for food.

I do like to ensure that there is variety. If your party is scheduled for 2 hours then it’s true you don’t need as many options. But if it’s going to be longer, having only a couple of offerings simply doesn’t cut it. After a while the palate gets bored, and so do your guests. Plus, with so many people you need to have items that everyone can enjoy. The below menu seemed to hit all the right notes.

Here’s the menu:

Various Cheese & Charcuterie Board with grapes, olives, cucumbers
Fennel with Olive Oil & Course Salt & Cracked Pepper
Baby bell peppers with Chick Pea Mash
Endive Spears with Chick Pea Mash
Endive Spears with Peaches, Goat Cheese & Basil
Smoked Salmon & Cream Cheese on Cucumber Rounds
Spicy Chorizo Pigs in a Blanket
Grill Meats
Watercress, Cucumber & Herbed Butter Tea Sandwiches
3 Dips with Potatoes, Carrots & String Beans
Rice & Quinoa Crunch Salad in Individual Cups
Puff Pastry Tomato Tartlets
Dessert: Homemade Ice cream balls

*Note: Since some of the above items do not have recipe links, please do not hesitate to contact me for simple instructions on how to prepare them. dana@2fishinc.com

Nothing better than Cheese/Charcuterie platters. Always and forever a crowd pleaser.

The freshness and simplicity of fennel dressed with coarse salted, cracked pepper and olive oil. Refreshing and super easy.

Mini bell peppers stuffed with Chick Pea Mash, Smoked Salmon/Cream Cheese/Cucumber Rounds, Watercress/Cucumber Sandwiches.

3 Dips a Dipping. A hearty take on a crudité platter. String beans are blanched, potatoes boiled, carrots are raw all served with 3 different dips that perfectly complement those veggies.

Pretty in Pink. I love playing with color. Rosy Prosciutto, pink Mortadella, red globe grapes and endive spears. What’s not to love here?

Mini spicy chorizo wrapped in puff pastry served with a mix of grain mustard, Dijon and yellow mustard.

Easy to grab and eat Rice & Quinoa Crunch Salad.

Now, I realize that this may seem like a ton of different plates, but for this amount of people for the length of the party (5-11p), the variety and quantity were much needed. Our guests included meat eaters, as well as no pork eaters, plus those who are gluten free. So having options is key to ensure that everyone is satisfied and has enough from which to choose.

Scott & Harry. White wine chilling. (Notice the bug spray between them. Important to have some key essentials available for a backyard party.

Manchego for miles.

All the dishes were well appreciated and loved, even by the kids, which is a great feat if I do say so myself. The best part about these food choices were that most did not require much attending. A couple of dishes were hot/warm but the majority were room temp. Place and walk away!

Mingle, chat, eat.. and text.

I can’t wait for our next get together. I’m really going to have to up my game and come up with a whole new offering. Or maybe since 2 years has passed they won’t mind having some repeat performances. I know I wouldn’t.

Hope you give some of these a try, even if on a smaller scale.

Entertaining - How I Miss It | Make Ahead Appetizers

Our Miami crew. How we love sharing time with them.

This has been a difficult year. And it’s certainly not over. Although statistics are improving, we are still grappling with the pandemic and its multitude of ripple effects on our lives. From the obvious life and death fears to struggling to stay employed to figuring out how to juggle Zoom calls with toddlers, it has been challenging. (Newsflash: I don’t have toddlers but can only imagine.)

There are so many issues relating to how our lives have been affected, but the one that seems to really hit most people at their emotional core is the isolation. The inability to freely move about and spend time with the ones we love. I know this has rocked me at my center. I miss hugging people. For those you know me, to say that I am a touchy, feely person is an understatement. Hey, not in a groping way, in a caring way. ( Alright, maybe I do want to see how big your biceps are.) It’s a known fact that human touch has healing qualities. Which highlights how counterintuitive it is to try to heal people through a pandemic without that essential restorative, mentally medicinal element. Ironic and heartbreaking, really. But I digress, or should I say wandered off the road a bit.

I miss people. I miss my family and friends, (or as we like to call them, framily) and the joy of sharing a meal and good time with them. JuanCarlos has joked about how much free time we now have during the weekends, since in his mind we used to spend every one of them hosting parties. Not true, and an over exaggeration . But true, entertaining is in my DNA. From as early as junior high and high school I can remember wanting to invite my friends over for a meal or to play games and enjoy snacks. I preferred it over going to a stale beer smelling bar, filled with billows of smoke, raucous noise and tons of other people with whom I didn’t care to share my time. What a nerd. That that nerd would grow up to enjoy entertaining as a later career shouldn’t come as such a surprise. But here we are, without the ability to do just that. Yet, as we learned from last post, I still found a way.

In all honesty, I’ve been struggling about which posts to launch since so many of them feature groups sharing food. To post them feels either disingenuous or taunting. I don’t want to be either. But as I rummaged through photos, rather than feeling sad and longing, I instead felt hope and anticipation. So, I’m posting this to put out the positive energy that this kind of gathering can resume soon. With that wish at hand, it seemed appropriate to provide some options for make ahead appetizer ideas for your future event. And so, lifting myself up by my house slippers, I’m sharing a moment when we gathered for a few nibbles with our dear friends in our Miami apartment. These handful of simple appetizers might be the perfect strategy to ease our way back into entertaining after a long reprieve.

Sometimes the best way to enjoy one another’s company is to make the food portion as easy and carefree as possible. Serving appetizers that can be enjoyed cold or room temperature allows the host(s) to remain with the party and not in the kitchen. Pre-made and/or ready to assembly right before guests arrive is the ideal way to have everything finished, and allow the fun and conversation from being interrupted. You know I love putting out a big spread. Whether it be a multi-course meal or tapas style, I’m known for my abundance. But there is a beauty to simplicity.
And that was the focus of this gathering several years back.

Skewers make it easy to grab and go.

And don’t forget the drink. It’s also important to have a partner that does their part in hosting. JuanCarlos is always at the ready serving up beverages. P.S. also one of my favorite shirts. It’s a party wrapped around a party!

Just because these were nibbles didn’t mean that it wasn’t substantial. On the contrary, it was filling and satisfying. Every one of these dishes were made ahead of time.

Cucumbers provide the cool and refreshing, grape tomatoes the sweet and the sardines bring the salt. An all in one bite.

Sardine Lettuce Wrap Skewers

Food that you can pick up and eat are perfect appetizers. Wraps fit that bill, so do skewers And this appetizer combines both.

Using a good quality Spanish sardine and some fresh, crisp veggies made this no cook appetizer fast to prepare and easy to enjoy. Spain is famous for its high quality conservas; fish in tins. One of my favorite brands is Cabo de Peñas. Simply skewer Persian cucumber* rounds, grape tomatoes. Then using romaine lettuce cut into 3” pieces, tuck a piece of the sardine in each creating a taco-like envelope to hold the sardine.

*Persian cucumbers are smaller and have less seeds and better for skewering. If you can’t find those, use English cucumbers and cut them smaller. If you can only find regular cucumbers, then scoop out the seeds, and cut them into small chunks.

Pulpo -Potato Skewers

Pulpo - Potato Skewers
Pulpo, Spanish for octopus, is one of those items that I always buy pre-cooked either in a tin or vacuumed sealed. Trust me, it’s delicious and SO much easier than cooking octopus. The Mediterranean countries are known for serving the most delicious octopus, so you can’t go wrong with any from Italy, Spain or Greece. I have two favorites: again , Cabo de Peñas in a tin and the vacuum sealed package from Don Bocarte*. (Even the famous NY Times writer Florence Fabricant agrees.)

To make, cut small new potatoes in half, boil until tender but not overdone or they will fall apart when trying to skewer them. Season with salt and pepper, then skewer them alternating between potato and octopus. Drizzle with good olive oil. It’s that simple.

*Please note that the Don Bocarte vacuum pack is only available at Despaña Soho store.

Shrimp & Avocado Endive Boats

Grill or sauté shrimp that have been seasoned with salt and pepper. Let cool, then cut them into small pieces. Cut avocado into small cubes, toss with shrimp and then spoon both into endive leaves. Make a quick creamy topping by combining either greek yogurt, sour cream or creme fraiche with finely chopped red onion and cucumber and a squeeze of lemon juice.

Room Temp Bean & Veg Salad

Sauté small cubed red/orange peppers, zucchini and summer squash with red onion in oil, salt and pepper. Make a quick vinaigrette of crushed garlic, lemon zest and juice, dried oregano and olive oil. Mix the sautéed vegetables together with chick peas, cannelini beans, and pour dressing over the entire mixture. Serve at room temperature. (Of course, this can also be served warm, but the point is to not have to be in the kitchen.)

3 Bean Salad with raw veggies. A slightly difference version offering a completely no cook option.

For a completely no cook version: use raw red/yellow peppers, grape tomatoes and cucumbers plus black beans and toss with an herb dressing. Replace the dried oregano with fresh parsley, cilantro and mint.

Bite sized cubes of salmon

Sear them in a cast iron pan.

Grilled Salmon

Cut salmon into 2” squares. Season with salt and pepper and using olive oil, sear in a cast iron pan. That’s all this needs, or maybe a squeeze of lemon right before serving. This can be made ahead, refrigerated and served either cold or room temp. The small cubes makes these much easier to eat and requires no utensils. Pick it and pop it in your mouth.

Is there anything better to please your guests than a platter full of dairy rich bites? I think not.

Cheese Platter
The ubiquitous cheese platter. It never gets old and it’s everyone’s favorite.

You know what to do here. Place a variety of cheeses on a platter and fill up and around with crackers, nuts, fruits and jams. Remember color blocking and keeping each element together to create focus and visual appeal. Too much scattering just creates visual clutter.

And just like that you have a hearty table of nibbles perfect for no kitchen distractions. I miss all my peeps and this post gave me hope and inspiration for the next time, hopefully soon, when we will all meet again, and be able to safely blow out candles on a cake.

Although this may seem like a similar shot, it’s important to include because we can see John’s face and it includes JuanCarlos.

WAY before the pandemic when no one thought twice about blowing onto to the top of a cake!

We miss our friends and we miss Miami. And we are counting the days until we can all do this again, safely and with tons of love and laughter.

To wrap up, here are a few visual reminders of the sunshine, sunsets and the pure glory of our second home, Miami, and a couple of other reasons why we miss it so much.

Our favorite spot on Miami Beach where we place our chairs and towels and hang for hours.

The view as we walk along the miles of Miami Beach boardwalk.

The stunning sunset from our apartment. You can see why we love to sit on our terrace and enjoy a cocktail.

Another one just because it’s so calming.

Brunch Made Simple

Brunch is supposed to be a relaxed, chill vibe. A time to hang with friends and family. The whole idea is rooted in the premise of sleeping in, then eating lazily in the late morning.  That is true if you are going out to eat, or to someone else's home.  But if you are hosting, it's a bit harder to sleep in. Plus it can feel a bit overwhelming, knowing there are mountains of ideas on what to serve.  I am guilty of wanting to offer up more options than are possible to consume.  (Or to make, for that matter.) The essence of brunch is that beautiful crossover of food from breakfast items to lunch or even a few heartier items. There in lies the rub.  All those choices create a mind numbing battle of what to serve when the possibilities seem endless.

That was my dilemma a while back when we hosted a brunch for our dear friends Carl and Malcolm. I had all sorts of ideas, but I was determined to keep it as simple as possible.  In the end, I felt like I accomplished that, so much so that I recreated the same menu for a Sunday brunch with our other dear friends, Nicki and Jeff. 

A little forewarning, in order to keep this post manageable, each recipe below is a hot link, bolded and highlighted in blue. Just click to be whisked away to see how to make it.

Let us begin:

There were two slight changes to the menu for Nicki and Jeff versus the original. I didn't serve the polenta cake, but did add an amuse-bouche of Ibérico ham, Marcona Almonds, olives.  It was a nice way to greet our friends and settle in a bit as we caught up on our life tales and the many moons that had passed.

Now, you've heard me say many a time that it is essential to serve warm items, room temp and chilled items. This holds especially true for brunch.  Certainly, if I were serving brunch in the winter I might lean on a few more warm plates, but this combo seems just right for the rest of the seasons. Plus, as we head into summer we are in prime time for more entertaining in general, especially outdoors.  Brunch is ideal for backyard entertaining.

After the nibbles that amused our mouths and whetted our appetites, we started off with a chilled dish, then moved on to all the other plates. Let the party begin with a refreshing and clean burst of citrus.

Citrus Salad Martini

A 'brighten your day' start to Sunday, or any day for that matter.

Next up was a continuation of fruit, transitioning to savory with this lightly tossed salad.

GRAPED UP BOSTON SALAD

Boston lettuce with grapes, fennel, celery, scallion. It's bright and light.

Something warm with...

TOMATO & GOAT CHEESE PIE

Warm and savory. The sweetness of the tomatoes balances the tang of the goat cheese.

Something room temp and hearty...

Salmon Salad Platter, Deconstructed

Polenta Cake

Polenta cake cut into slices.

Ingredients

2 c polenta (cook according to package)
1.5 T butter
1/4 c chives, chopped
1/3 c goat cheese
salt, pepper

Instructions

Once the polenta is cooked, remove from the burner and stir in the butter, goat cheese and chives, salt and pepper until combined.  Lightly oil a cast iron pan and pour in the polenta. Bake at 350 degrees until a crust forms. Turn onto a board or plate and cut into wedges.  Best served warm but room temp is good too.

What I love best about this meal is that so much can be done in advance. The big plus is that any of these can be served at room temp, therefore, less stress about timing and getting the plates to the table.  

Then for dessert, I kept with the same theme of simple.  Prepped ahead of time and waiting on the kitchen table, I brought out a small platter of fresh cheeses (Manchego & Ibores),  grapes, strawberries and Sweet Olive Oil Crackers. Certainly, you can go sweet at this stage of the meal, but this felt right, and I believe our guests thought so too.

So, although YOU might not be sleeping in as late as everyone else, but taking the homemade brunch route doesn't have to stress you out.  Create the perfect crossover meal.