After these long, cold winter months, what better way to enjoy the coming spring and the warmer weather than to gather friends and family for a casual, chic brunch around the table. Celebrate the season with bright, happy colors, loads of fresh flowers, and simple, delicious food. Here, we share a few fail-proof and easy to put together recipes, affordable flower arrangement ideas, and a festive tablescape for a gathering that can easily serve four to six. Double or triple the recipes for a larger crowd—this setup will have you covered for Easter, celebratory showers, or any other occasion this season.
The Menu
Guests will enjoy the flavors and freshness of spring with this festive brunch menu that includes an herbed dip, a savory quiche, and a gorgeous, seasonal salad. And it will be a breeze to host as you can prepare most of it in advance.
Fresh Herb Dip with Crudité
With four different herbs and a touch of garlic and citrus, this light and refreshing dip is a perfect appetizer for any gathering. We suggest serving alongside seasonal veggies—think fresh spears of asparagus, haricot verts, etc.—to take that spring feeling to the next level. For an added touch, use a hollowed-out cabbage as a bright serving piece.
Ingredients:
8 oz plain Greek yogurt or light
sour cream
4 oz reduced fat cream cheese, room temperature
1 tbsp fresh dill, diced
1 tbsp fresh chives, diced
1 tbsp fresh parsley, diced
1 tbsp fresh basil, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tbsp lemon juice
¼ tsp each: coarse sea salt, fresh ground pepper
Dash of red pepper flakes (optional)
Directions:
Place all ingredients in a medium-sized mixing bowl; use an electric hand mixer to blend. Serve at room temperature or store in an airtight container for up to two days before your event.
If using cabbage, gently peel back outer leaves. Slice the bottom so it lays flat, then cut a 3-inch circle in the top. Hollow out about a third of the circle to create a bowl; place dip in cabbage right before serving.
Strawberry Spring Salad with Orange-Poppyseed Vinaigrette
This salad is full of vibrant colors and bursting with flavor, yet it’s simple and takes minimal time to make. A mixture of baby spinach and arugula lend to a fresh, peppery flavor, and the fruit combined with sliced almonds, feta, and a sweet and subtle citrus vinaigrette, allow for a variety of amazing textures in one bite. This salad will go great alongside almost any main dish you serve.
Ingredients for Salad:
baby spinach
baby arugula
strawberries, sliced
apples, sliced
avocado, sliced
red onion, sliced
dried cranberries
sliced almonds (pecans or walnuts would work as well)
feta cheese
Directions:
In a large salad bowl or platter, combine all ingredients. Tip: soak the red onion in cold water for 20-30 minutes before placing on your salad—this will help mellow out the strong taste.
Ingredients for Vinaigrette:
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup red wine vinegar
2 tbsp granulated sugar
1 tbsp juice from an orange (store-bought OJ would also work)
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 tbsp poppy seeds
¼ tsp coarse sea salt
Directions:
Pulse in a food processor or shake well in a mason jar. You can make the day before and store in refrigerator; bring vinaigrette to room temperature before mixing with the salad.
Ham & Chive Quiche
This easy quiche recipe can start with a refrigerated pie crust or you can make your own. It’s filled with smoked ham—ask your deli for ‘ham off the bone’ for added flavor and texture—two kinds of cheese, chives, a touch of seasoning, then baked until golden brown. Definitely a fun spin on the traditional Easter ham. Tip: chop, grate, etc., all of your ingredients the night before for quicker assembly the next day.
Ingredients:
6oz ham, cut into small squares
1 cup swiss cheese, freshly grated
½ cup cheddar cheese, freshly grated
1 (or more) tbsp fresh chives, chopped
5 large eggs
1 cup heavy cream (can substitute half and half or milk)
¼ tsp each: salt and pepper
Directions:
Set oven to 375°.
Lightly grease a pie dish and place crust inside; shape dough edges to your preference. Layer swiss cheese and ham on the bottom of the crust. Beat together eggs and cream, stir in cheddar cheese, chives, salt and pepper. Pour over crust.
Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until eggs are cooked through. Tip: place foil over the quiche at the 30-minute mark to keep the crust from burning. Let quiche rest for at least ten minutes before cutting and serving.
The Flowers
You don’t have to break the bank on flowers to make a big impact. Here, we used three stems of white hydrangeas, a mix of extremely inexpensive stock filler, and two shades of tulips. We rounded up all of these seasonal flowers for about twenty dollars.
Start with a large vessel to add height and maximum impact to your tablescape. To create the centerpiece, add a mix of hydrangeas and the pink and purple stock. Then fill in with tulips to let them drape around the vase. To help your arrangement last longer, make sure to strip the stems so none of the leaves are submerged in the water.
To further stretch the budget, use leaves removed from the hydrangeas to line the inside of the two smaller vessels. This elevates inexpensive glass vases into a custom look. Fill the inside with a mix of the remaining stock and tulips.
The Table
We used our everyday white plates to help readers envision how they can use things they already have at home to set a beautiful table. Just a few additional purchases helped make the setting fun and festive. Natural elements like the runner and chargers can be found inexpensively and add great texture to the table. These elements are offset by the pops of color from the flowers, the bright napkins, taper candles, and glass tumblers.
Think of little ways to elevate your place setting. For example, we used some green raffia and a single leaf from the flowers to tie together the fork and knife. A sprig of fresh rosemary, thyme or other herbs would also do the trick. Additionally, this would be a great way to easily add a name for a place setting.
