Summer's Bounty Brunch

Gazpacho with Basil Crème Fraîche

Summer's Bounty Brunch Menu Gazpacho with Basil Crème Fraîche   Baked Vegetable Omelet Chicken Tabbouleh Salad Strawberry-Jicama Toss Cinnamon Biscuit Fans or Assorted muffins and breads* Watermelon with Blackberries and Pear Puree * Recipe is not included

Enjoy this easy, breezy summer brunch that celebrates summer’s bounty. With this easy menu, you have very little baking or cooking to do. The chicken for the salad can be poached--only low heat needed here--ahead of time. And the vegetable omelet is assembled the night before, then baked right before popping the biscuits in the oven.

Make It Special!

Trip to Bountiful

• If you’re a gardener, this menu can really showcase your handiwork!  If you're not, check out your local farmers’ markets or roadside stands for locally grown produce.  Lucky for all of us, grocery stores now carry all of the wonderful fruits and vegetables you’ll need to prepare this brunch.

You Say Tomato . . .

• Among summer’s most glorious products is the vine-ripened tomato.  No matter which way you slice it, dice it or toss it, the tomato is a versatile, delicious treat.  A few tomato tips for you:
• Did you know that the tomato is not a vegetable but a fruit?
• To seed a tomato, cut the tomato crosswise in half and squeeze each half gently over a bowl to remove the seeds.  Chop the tomato as directed in the recipe.
• Don’t store tomatoes in the refrigerator.  Cold temperatures ruin the flavor and make the flesh pulpy.

Herbs for Herb

If you need a small gift for your brunch guests, perhaps for a shower or birthday party, continue the summer bounty theme.

• Place tiny terra-cotta pots filled with various herbs at each place setting.  Add small cards to the pots, and your gift doubles as a place card holder.  If some of your guests are meeting for the first time, an alliterative connection between the first name and the herb will help your guests remember who they met.  For example, use mint for Michelle or Mike, dill weed for Debbie, basil for Barb and rosemary for, well, Rosemary!

 
Serve It with Style

Serve this cool summer brunch on individual plates or buffet style on large platters.  Buffet style is often easier for the hostess.  Don’t worry if you lack a few serving dishes--be creative. 

• The gazpacho is stunning served from a hollowed cabbage. 
• If your baking dish for the vegetable omelet is showing wear, just dress it up with a pretty towel or piece of fabric that you secure by tying with a ribbon. 
• Party-supply stores sell inexpensive serving platters made of sturdy coated plastic or even coated paper that look like real silver- or gold-plated trays.

Preparation Guide

Up to 2 Days Before

• Make dressing for Chicken Tabbouleh Salad; refrigerate.
• Mix dry ingredients for Cinnamon Biscuit Fans; cover tightly.  Grease muffin cups; cover pan.

The Day Before

• Prepare vegetables for Gazpacho with Basil Crème Fraîche.  Layer in large food storage bag; refrigerate.
• Make Chicken Tabbouleh Salad; cover and refrigerate.
• Make Baked Vegetable Omelet, but do not bake; cover tightly and refrigerate.
• Prepare ingredients for Strawberry-Jicama Toss; wrap separately and refrigerate.

The Morning Of

• Make gazpacho and Crème Fraîche; cover and refrigerate.
• Prepare watermelon and blackberries for Watermelon with Blackberries and Pear Puree; cover and refrigerate.
• Make biscuits, but do not bake; cover tightly and refrigerate.

About 1 Hour Before

• Bake omelet.

About 20 Minutes Before

• Bake biscuits.

Just Before Serving

• Finish making Strawberry-Jicama Toss.
• Glaze biscuits.

Just Before Serving Dessert

• Make Pear Puree, and serve over prepared watermelon and blackberries.