Outdoor Entertaining
What Better Way to Start an August Day?
I love opening the door on August mornings. Warm sunshine invites me outside for a walk through my garden full of a new day’s surprises – the cucumber that appears behind a large leaf like delicious summer magic, the newly ripened tomatoes and peppers, and the fragrance of the homegrown herbs – it really is the best part of my day. How about we make the most of it and plan an outdoor summer breakfast gathering using the bounty of freshness available right now, whether from your own backyard or a nearby market. August is the time to squeeze out every last drop of summer’s goodness.
Chances are, if you live at the beach, you often have overnight guests to feed in the morning anyway. But if not, invite just a few friends for this intimate morning get-together in an outdoor breakfast nook you’ve created.
Décor is simple for breakfast because the morning offers its own lighting and color palette, so take advantage of it. If possible, set up your space in the east or southeast corner of your yard. This isn’t always possible or practical, but if it is, you’ll have the best sun exposure and nature’s morning pinks, yellows and oranges along with the morning dew’s glaze on the grass and flowers. It really would be nice to plan to do this often throughout the summer and fall, so consider creating a permanent breakfast nook in your yard. If you want to take it a step further, consider growing a garden in the breakfast nook now or in the future. Climbing plants can create cozy “walls” for your nook, so think about adding a small trellis for creeping vines. Of course, maybe all this is a little ambitious, but a small investment of your time and energy can provide many lovely mornings to come. Think about it.
Anyway, back to this breakfast for today, and it’s time to set the table. If your group is small, use a small round bistro table. Maybe you could even try two small ones placed side by side. Now, if you have sufficient planters, try moving them in such a way as to create a path to your nook. And if your yard includes blooming shrubs, clip a few hydrangeas or magnolia blooms, or rescue a few fallen ones from the ground, and just float a few in a shallow bowl of water for a pretty centerpiece (or centerpieces). Consider tablecloths if your tables are less than pretty, and definitely use cloth napkins wrapped with the herbs you’ve been growing all summer or those from the market. Parsley, rosemary and mint work well, but use what you have. Be sure to cut long pieces and just wrap gently for a really pretty presentation. Finally, use the good dishes – china and glassware. It makes guests feel special.
Now, let’s talk menu. For a breakfast gathering, it is important to choose recipes that can be prepared ahead. Our two main recipes can be prepared the day before, so your morning prep is easy. We will offer both sweet and savory options.
Our savory option is mini spinach-herb quiches. I’ll use my garden spinach and herbs. These can be baked the night before, then reheated in the oven and garnished before serving.
Our sweet selection is a blueberry lemon mascarpone French toast casserole. Prepared the night before and baked in the morning, it’s perfect for breakfast.
You can use the quiches for an appetizer, then save the French toast for the main course. With both made ahead, you’ll have plenty of time to enjoy the morning and cocktails with guests, and speaking of cocktails, on this morning’s menu is a Cucumber Rosemary Lemon Mimosa. With cucumbers and rosemary plentiful, these will be so fresh and fragrant. A splash of lemon juice and champagne add just the zing you need to make it special.
Finally, let’s serve a sweet and fruity dessert. This is so easy but so good. I call it grapefruit brulee. Halve a grapefruit and coat tops with brown sugar. Place in a preheated broiler on high for 1 to 2 minutes, until sugar is crystallized and browned. Serve it warm with another mimosa or coffee. So simple.
That’s it. What a special way to begin a late summer morning in Sea Isle City. Friends, family, food, fun and flowers. August is starting off on a pretty positive note. Now just pack up the leftovers and head to the beach. No time to waste, remember September is right around the corner.
Mini Spinach-Herbed Quiches
Ingredients:
4 eggs
1½ cups heavy cream
1 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
½ cup grated Parmesan
1½ cups grated Swiss cheese
2/₃ cup bacon, cooked and finely chopped
¾ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped
2 pie crusts, store-bought or homemade
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place eggs and cream in a large mixing bowl and whisk until well combined. Add spinach, cheeses, bacon, salt and thyme; mix well. Roll out pie crust to about ¼-inch thickness on a flat surface lightly dusted with flour. With a circular cookie cutter (3-inch works best), cut out circles from the pie crust dough. To keep your cookie cutter from sticking to the pie crust dough, dip it occasionally in flour. Cut a wedge from each circle to make it easier to insert in mini muffin pan. Press each pie-crust circle into the mini muffin pan and overlap the edges of the wedge you cut out. Press to seal. Use a fork to flute the edges at the top. Fill each mini pie with the quiche filling to just below the top of the pie crust. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly. Garnish with a shaving of Parmesan and fresh thyme leaves. (If making it the night before, heat in 300-degree oven for 10 minutes and garnish before serving.) Makes 30 bite-sized quiches.
French Toast
Ingredients:
14 ounces French or sourdough bread loaf cubed into 1-inch cubes
8 large eggs
2¼ cups whole milk
¼ cup heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
Blueberry filling
1 pint blueberres
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 tablespoons water
Lemon Mascarpone
2 tablespoons fresh lemon zest
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
12 ounces mascarpone cheese
¼ cup granulated sugar
Powdered sugar for dusting
Directions:
Bring the blueberries, cornstarch, sugar, and water to a low simmer in a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Mix continuously for 7-10 minutes to loosen up the blueberries (some will start to burst but most should be fully intact). Set the blueberry mixture aside. Whip the eggs, whole milk, heavy whipping cream, and vanilla bean paste together until smooth and fully combined. Set aside. Cream together the lemon zest, lemon juice, mascarpone and granulated sugar together until smooth a fluffy. Set aside. Cube your bread into 1-inch cubes. This doesn't have to be precise! Take half of the bread cubes and layer into a greased 9-by-13-inch casserole pan. Take half of the berries and 1 tablespoon of lemon zest and sprinkle over the first layer of bread cubes. Use half of the mascarpone mixture, dollop half of the mascarpone mixture around the first layer of bread and berries. Repeat the layer of bread, blueberries, lemon zest, and mascarpone mixture for a second layer. Don’t worry if it looks overfilled. Pour the egg mixture over all layers in the casserole dish and loosely cover with foil. Refrigerate overnight or for at least 6 hours. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake with tented foil cover for 30 minutes. Remove foil after 30 minutes and finish baking for another 10-12 minutes or until an inserted knife comes out clean. Dust with powdered sugar right before serving.
Cucumber Rosemary Lemon Mimosa
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary, plus sprigs for garnish
1 cup water
½ cup lemon juice
3 tablespoons agave syrup
Fresh lemons
Champagne
Directions:
Cut 12 thin slices of cucumber for garnish. Peel and chop the rest of the cucumber; transfer to a food processor, add rosemary and puree. Pour the puree through a fine-mesh strainer set over a medium bowl or large measuring cup. Press on the solids to extract all the juice. Add water, lemon juice and agave syrup to the cucumber juice; stir until the agave is dissolved. Fill 16-ounce glass with ice half full and add champagne to taste. Garnish with cucumber slices and rosemary sprigs.
