An Elegant Holiday Brunch

This recipe and photos were provided by Ben and Miranda Gustafson of The Modern Farmette and were originally published at 365Barrington.com.

As the days get colder, the mornings turn crisp and the frost sparkles in the sunrise light. Meanwhile, the Modern Farmette kitchen is bustling as we cook up new holiday recipes for this year’s brunch! Thereʼs something so lovely about a fire crackling and friends around the table on a chilly holiday morning. We love experimenting with fresh, new flavors and today weʼre sharing a couple of our favorites prepared with ingredients from Heinen’s Grocery to spruce up your brunch celebrations this season.

Virgin Olive Oil Fried Eggs with Lemon Yogurt: Thereʼs nothing better than free-range eggs! This year we wanted to try something new and this definitely hits the spot for a fresh take on a classic Farmette favorite. This recipe may not be for everyone, but we found it to be lovely and we hope you do too!

Virgin Olive Oil Fried Eggs with Lemon Yogurt

Yield: 1-2 servings

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup plain yogurt (Greek or regular)
• 1/2 lemon
• Extra virgin olive oil
• 2 free-range eggs
• 1 tbsp. roughly chopped fresh dill

Method

• Combine yogurt and generous squeeze of lemon in a bowl and mix. Adjust lemon + salt & pepper to taste. Using a large spoon, generously swoop the mixture across a plate.
• Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Crack eggs into pan and season with salt & pepper. Sprinkle a teaspoon of water into the pan and immediately cover the pan with a lid. Allow eggs to cook until the whites are firm but yolks are still wobbly (about 2-3 minutes).
• Turn off heat and immediately remove eggs from skillet, placing them on top of the plate. Pour remaining olive oil from the skillet over the eggs and garnish with fresh dill.

During our recent trip to France, we found ourselves falling in love with crêpes. We were inspired because the crêpe is such an open palette to create something new every time. This particular combination of sweet & savory is absolutely scrumptious.

Brie and Butter Pear Sautéed Crêpes

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

• 5 tbsp. unsalted butter
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 firm, but ripe pears
• 1/2lb brie cheese, sliced thin
• Powdered sugar, for garnish

Method

• In a bowl, whisk together milk, flour, 1/3 cup water, eggs, and salt until smooth. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter and stir into mixture and chill.
• Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a skillet over medium heat until bubbly and golden brown, about two minutes. Spread a single layer of pears evenly in the pan. Cook until golden brown on each side, (bout 3-5 minutes; time may vary depending on your stovetop. The pears should be caramelized while still holding their shape. Remove pan from heat.
• Heat a second pan over medium-high heat and swirl with butter (you should only need to do this once). Spoon approximately 1/4 cup crêpe mixture into the hot pan and quickly tilt to spread evenly. Cook until the bottom is lightly browned and the edges begin to curl, 1-2 minutes. Flip crêpe if necessary and remove from pan. Keep covered and warm. Repeat the process until all the batter has been used.
• Preheat oven to 375ºF. Place one crêpe on a lightly greased baking sheet. Fill crêpe with slices of pear and brie. Fold, and place in oven; heat until brie has melted. Remove from oven and dust with powdered sugar or honey.

Açaí bowls are another nutritious way to beautifully bring something new to the brunch table. Guests will love the pop of color and the fresh ingredients. There are so many different variations when it comes to açaí; this makes it so easy to craft a bowl that fits your brunch style!

Fresh Açaí Bowl

Yield: 2 Servings 

Ingredients

• 2 packets frozen açaí (sweetened or unsweetened)
• 1 banana
• 1/2 cup apple juice
• 1/2 cup frozen blueberries
• 1/2 cup frozen pineapple

Toppings

• 1 banana, sliced
• Organic granola
• Flaked coconut
• Fresh blueberries
• Fresh blackberries
• Fresh raspberries
• Fresh dragon fruit

Method

• Combine all açaí ingredients into a blender. Blend – if the mixture is too thick, add more juice.
• Pour mixture into bowl and chill in freezer while prepping garnish ingredients.
• Remove from freezer and top with ingredients. Interchange ingredients to fit your taste or dietary preference.

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By Heinen's Grocery Store

In 1929, Joe Heinen opened the doors of a small butcher shop on the east side of Cleveland, Ohio, aiming to establish himself as the city’s purveyor of quality meats. As customers came into Heinen’s new shop for their meat purchases, they began asking him to carry groceries as well. Joe added homemade peanut butter, pickles and donuts and by 1933, business had grown enough to include a line of produce and canned goods. Heinen’s Grocery Store was born.