In her delightful book, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, Barbara Kingsolver wrote about planning an entire season ahead for a party that would feature a meal prepared from the garden. She worried that there wouldn’t be enough food, or that the plants wouldn’t be mature enough in time.
This Mother’s Day, we took a lesson from Barbara and planned a brunch that not only took place in the garden, but was made almost entirely from the garden. This extra special treat won over the moms in our family.
But first – the menu:
Sadly the screen shot includes Microsoft Word’s spell checking indicators. We deliberately spelled ‘Waffles’ as ‘Waffrles’ because our Belgian friend who gave us the recipe pronounces the word that way.
Since Ethel the Easter Egger recently started laying, we now have a more colorful array of eggs to work with. Two frittatas and Belgian waffles made on site featured home-raised eggs. Other ingredients came from the farmers’ market, like the broccoli and oranges.
Here are the recipes:
Martha Stewart’s Potato-Leek Frittata – a great dish using leeks and potatoes from the garden and hen house eggs.
Williams-Sonoma’s Frittata with Baby Broccoli and Cheddar – we used regular broccoli, home grown shallots and garlic to make this deliciously savory dish.
Marion’s Raised Waffles – these waffles are light and fluffy because the batter is yeasted and rises over night
Vegetarian Times’ Basil Lemonade – this uses 4 cups of basil, so we supplemented from the farmers’ market. It was delicious to sip under a shady tree.
Our home made yogurt recipe can be found on the Gardenerd Blog. It was delicious served with maple syrup and home grown strawberries.
Martha Stewart’s Potato-Leek Frittata – this recipe comes from Williams-Sonoma’s Frittata with Baby Broccoli and Cheddar.
Alas, Emilio’s creme brulee recipe remains a secret, but we certainly did enjoy it. Maybe someday I’ll pry the recipe from his cold, dead fingers. Just kidding Emilio…
The experiment worked mainly because we developed the menu around what was in season and growing in the garden already. By preparing some items ahead of time (like homemade bread, yogurt – we just pulled a container from the freezer – and the beverages) we had very little actual cooking to do the day of the event.
Serving mothers a meal provided by Mother Nature was ultimately satisfying and left everyone with that warm, fuzzy feeling that makes Mother’s Day so special. Success!
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How about writing a post telling us what to plant now in December, January and the coming months for a similar party this coming Mother’s Day? I have to plan a Wedding Weekend for about 50 people on May 25th, and I need some mentors to help me schedule what to plant and when to do it. I’d love your input! (My organic garden is on Decker 2 mi up from the beach).
There’s plenty of info on Gardenerd about planting and planning for spring. Use the search for “spring garden”. Right now you could be starting seeds indoors for early spring plants that can go in the ground in February or March. We’re about 6 weeks out now. Lettuces, beans, some squash and tomatoes, if you tend to plant those early where you live.