CUISINE

from Fargo Inspired Home Magazine March/April 2020

by Inspired Home Magazine Fargo

INGREDIENTS

CuiSINE

Spring,

a season for brunch

BY CHEF GRANVILLE WOOD | PHOTOGRAPHY BY YVONNE DENAULT

This farm table is a combination of classicism and modernity for a spring brunch. Fresh fruit, French cream roses and Waterford stemware create a perfect setting for guests.

After the silence of winter with the heavy snow absorbing all sound, the cacophony of spring is welcome. Is there anything sweeter than the sound of returning robins and other songbirds? Lawn mowers replace snowblowers and the sweet smell of fresh-cut grass wafts through open windows. Or is it the pop of the cork from a bottle of Taittinger Blanc de Blanc, signaling the return of brunch on the patio? Spring is brunch — big hats, sassy frocks and golf.

ANATOMY OF A BRUNCH

By definition, brunch is a late morning meal in lieu of breakfast or lunch. To many, brunch is a buffet at the club on Sunday. For me, it’s a late Sunday morning get-together with friends at someone’s home with copious amounts of Champagne or a Bloody Mary or two. It might include the morning paper, recounts of the week’s activities and kids scrambling over furniture terrorizing the cat; all the while the kitchen is in a mild state of chaos. The aromas coming from the kitchen act as a siren’s call luring guests to the kitchen. Steal a piece of a muffin and you’re told, “Set the table,” and everyone pitches in. Before your eyes, the long farm kitchen table is transformed: cutlery is set, glassware polished and bowls of fresh-cut flowers floating in bowls of water adorn the table. Corks are popped, glasses topped off, and the parade of platters and bowls of food emerge from the kitchen with overwhelming aromas. Pop another bottle of champagne.

The menu might include eggs baked in crusty rustic bread and tomato sauce, lemon ricotta crepes with fresh berries, grilled mushroom salad with goat cheese and truffle oil vinaigrette. Add orange-scented risotto with sweet shrimp and tomato oil, charred beef tenderloin carpaccio with arugula, shaved Pecorino and a spring asparagus tart. A fantastic spread, but why not more? Imagine a lovely tiered English sherry trifle of sponge cake, vanilla custard, berries and whipped cream next to a lemon tart with raspberries dusted with powdered sugar. Chocolate, you say, where is the chocolate? It appears in a chocolate pot de creme, lush and rich, smooth with a hint

Corks are popped, glasses topped off, and the parade of platters and bowls of food emerge from the kitchen with overwhelming aromas.

A sure sign of spring. Guests will enjoy the fresh asparagus picks of the season nestled in a lush, creamy tart.

Perfect for the menu — fresh farm-stand eggs baked in a sumptuous, rich tomato sauce, and ready to serve. A perfect menu addition: charred beef tenderloin carpaccio with arugula and parmesan reggiano — a perfect union.

Grilled forest-foraged mushrooms with Redwood Hill Farm goats cheese, a special treat for guests.

of brandy. They all go very well with a nice sparking French rosé, not too sweet but light, crisp and fresh. Coffee, perhaps later?

BRUNCH PREP

The trifle is assembled on Friday — it gets better as it sits for a while. Saturday is spent quietly puttering around the kitchen after a morning round of golf getting things in order. On Saturday, we finish the lemon tart, so it has plenty of time to set. We grill the mushrooms and marinate them, and also char the beef tenderloin, all for the same reason — so they get time to rest while building the flavor. We get all the little piddly things done and out of the way ahead of time. Sunday morning is time for coffee and some toast. We don’t want to mess up the kitchen before we start. Put together the big bowl of mushroom salad and the platter of sliced carpaccio ready to go. Pop the asparagus tart in the oven while whipping together the batter for the pancakes. Heat the tomato sauce and fry the bread for the eggs to sit in.

Is all this abundant decadence really appropriate with “lake season” just around the corner? Bathing suits, shorts and skirts weather is coming. How will we wear all this food as summer nears? We could cut out the eggs and bread and let the asparagus tart fill the egg void. Use low-fat ricotta in the crepes, eliminate the risotto completely and perhaps steamed salmon in place of the beef tenderloin — cost effective and healthier. Incorporate more fruit. Yogurt and fizzy lemonade could replace the Champagne. Again, much healthier and way more cost effective.

But then again, spring only comes around once a year and it has been a bit of a rough winter with all the snow. As the late great Robin Williams once said: “Spring is nature’s way of saying, ‘Let’s party!’”

Decadent, creamy, and sure to please, a luxurious dark chocolate pot du crème for dessert.

These luscious Meyer lemon tarts with fresh raspberries deliciously define the word brunch.

Add colorful drama and beauty with a towering sherry trifle with custard, cake and strawberries.

RICOTTA CREPES WITH FRESH BERRIES INGREDIENTS: • 1 cup milk • 1 egg • ½ cup plus 1 Tbs. all-purpose flour • ½ tsp. salt • ½ tsp. canola oil • 1 pint raspberries • 3 Tbs. granulated sugar, or to taste • 1 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese • ½ tsp. orange zest • 4 Tbs unsalted butter, melted • Confectioners sugar for dusting

METHOD : In a blender, combine the milk, egg, flour, salt, oil and zest and blend until smooth. Transfer to a bowl, cover and refrigerate for 2 to 8 hours. In a large bowl, combine the raspberries and 2 Tbs. of the granulated sugar.

In another bowl, combine the ricotta, zest and the remaining 1 Tbs. granulated sugar. Set aside.

In a 6-inch nonstick pan over medium heat, add 1 tsp. of the melted butter to coat the pan evenly. Pour in 1/ 3 cup of the batter and spread with a spatula. Cook until the crepe is golden underneath, 1 to 2 minutes. Flip the crepe over and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate and cover with aluminum foil. Repeat to make 4 to 6 crepes.

Cover half of each crepe with the ricotta mixture and fold into quarters. Place crepes on a large serving plate. Top with the berries and dust with confectioners sugar. Serve immediately. Serves 4 to 6. More recipes are on our Facebook page.