This summer is flying by. It seems that in the blink of an eye these short months will be another memory. Before we know it, Brad and I will be in our tiny apartment in Tokyo beginning another year.
Well, summer is not over yet so I am going to continue to enjoy food, family, friends and fun that all seem to be at their best this time of year. Somewhere in the middle, I will find some time to relax without wasting precious moments away from those I love.
There are few things that bring people together in a more relaxing and decadent way than brunch. There is just something luxurious about sitting down to a beautiful meal that combines the sweetness of breakfast with the savory flavors of lunch, cup of coffee in hand.
In the spirit of luxury, Brad and I made crepes for brunch the other day. To serve along with the crepes, we put together plates of Devonshire Cream and mixed berries, Nutella and bananas, and smoked salmon with cream cheese and onions.
After a leisurely mid-morning brunch like this, you will want to make crepes every day! The good news is that you can make a large batch of the crepes, layer them with plastic wrap, freeze them and have them whenever you want. Just warm them up in a pan on the stove top! What could be sweeter? Keep a little Nutella on hand and you will be good to go for a mini version of this brunch any day of the week!
Crepes (from Rachel Soszynski Food and Wine Magazine)
- 3 large eggs
- 1 1/4 cups milk
- Pinch of salt
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs with 1/4 cup of the milk and the salt until blended. Whisk in the flour until the batter is smooth, then whisk in the remaining 1 cup of milk and 1 tablespoon of the melted butter. Let the crêpe batter stand at room temperature for about 20 minutes.
- In a small saucepan, combine the apricot preserves with the raspberries and lemon juice and cook over moderate heat until jammy, about 5 minutes. Cover and keep warm.
Fruit Filling
1 package fresh strawberries, hulled and quartered
1 package fresh blueberries
1 package fresh raspberries
1 package fresh blackberries
1 fresh nectarine, cut into wedges
2 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons sugar
Combine all the berries in a large bowl. Add the sugar, lemon juice and mint. Stir to combine. Put in the refrigerator for half an hour. Stir again just before serving.
Devonshire Cream (recipe from Jan Cahill, my mom)
1 cup whipping cream
3 Tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 cup sour cream
2 to 3 teaspoons lime juice (to taste)
In small bowl of electric mixer, stir together whipping cream and sugar; let stand 2 minutes. Whip cream until stiff. Gently fold in sour cream, then lime juice and strawberries. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
Other suggestions:
Nuttella and Bananas
Smoked Salmon, Cream Cheese and sliced sweet onions
Greek Yogurt with mixed berries
