Eat the Rainbow: A Mother’s Day Brunch Menu Full of Color and Flavor

Ingredients

• One (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1/4 cup tahini
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• Juice of one lemon
• 2 teaspoons grated peeled fresh turmeric
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, or more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon sriracha
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Place all the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth. If too thick, thin with a little warm water or additional olive oil. Taste for seasoning.
2. Transfer to a bowl. The hummus can be prepared up to two days in advance. Refrigerate until use. Serve with crudités and pita bread.

Ingredients

• 1 pound tomatillos, husked and rinsed, chopped
• 2 Persian cucumbers (or 1/2 English cucumber), chopped
• 1 medium white onion, chopped
• 1 small poblano pepper, seeded, chopped
• 1 large garlic clove, chopped
• 1/2 cup cilantro leaves and tender stems
• 1/4 cup flat leaf parsley
• 1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• Diced cucumber and flat leaf parsley sprigs for garnish

Directions

1. Place all the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor or a blender. Process to blend. Taste for seasoning.
2. Refrigerate until chilled or up to one day before serving. Divide between bowls or glasses, and garnish with finely diced cucumber and fresh parsley sprigs.

Ingredients

• Olive oil
• 1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced in half moons 
• 4 to 5 mini sweet red and orange peppers, thinly sliced, seeded
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• Kosher salt
• Unsalted butter for the pan
• 4 1/2 to 5 cups packed sourdough bread in 1-inch cubes
• 1 1/2 cups grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 cup packed baby spinach leaves
• 1 1/2 cups coarsely grated Gruyère or Fontina cheese 
• 8 large eggs
• 1 cup whole milk1 cup half and half
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the red onion, peppers, thyme and a pinch of salt. Sauté until the vegetables soften, 2 – 3 minutes. Remove from the heat.
2. Butter an 8 x 10-inch baking dish. Arrange half of the bread in the bottom. Spread half of the peppers and onions over the bread, followed by half of the tomatoes, all the spinach, and 1/2 cup of the cheese.
3. Top with the remaining bread, the remaining peppers, onions, and tomatoes, and 1/2 cup of the cheese.
4. Whisk the eggs, milk, half and half, Dijon, 1 teaspoon salt and the black pepper in a large bowl.
5. Pour the egg mixture evenly over the strata. Gently press down on the bread to submerge in the liquid. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top.
6. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight to allow the bread to absorb the custard.
7. Heat the oven to 375°F. Cover the strata with foil. Bake for 30 minutes, then remove the foil and continue to bake until slightly puffed and golden, 30 – 40 minutes more. 
8. Remove from the oven and let stand for 15 minutes before serving.

Ingredients

Dressing:

• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons fresh Meyer lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup olive oil

Salad:

• 2 large purple sweet potatoes, with skin, cut in 1-inch chunks
• Olive oil
• Kosher salt
• 3 cups packed baby spinach leaves
• 2 cups packed (stemmed and roughly torn) curly green kale leaves
• 1/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
• 2 tablespoons dill sprigs, plus more for garnish
• 1 teaspoon finely grated Meyer lemon zest
• 2 to 3 ounces fresh goat cheese, crumbled 

Directions

1. Whisk all the dressing ingredients, except the oil, in a small bowl to blend. Add the oil in a steady stream, whisking to emulsify.
2. Heat the oven to 425°F.
3. Place the potatoes in a bowl. Drizzle 1 to 2 tablespoons of oil over and lightly season with salt and black pepper.
4. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment. Spread the potatoes on the parchment. Transfer to the oven and roast until the potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes. Remove and cool to lukewarm or room temperature.
5. Place the kale in a large serving bowl. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon dressing. Massage the kale until coated and slightly wilted, about 1 minute. Add the spinach, potatoes, walnuts, half of the dill, and the lemon zest. Drizzle half of the dressing over the salad and toss to coat.
6. Scatter the goat cheese over the salad and garnish with the remaining dill. Serve with the remaining dressing to taste.

Ingredients

Lemon Curd:

• 4 large egg yolks
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
• Pinch of kosher salt

Compote:

• 3 cups fresh blueberries
• 1 sprig fresh mint
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 cup cold heavy cream
• 1 cup whole milk Greek yogurt
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons sugar

Directions

1. Make the curd: Fill the bottom of a double boiler with 1 to 2 inches of water. Bring to a boil over medium high heat, then lower the heat to a bare simmer. In the bowl of the double boiler whisk the egg yolks, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, and salt. Place over the bottom of the double boiler and cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until the curd thickens and coats the back of the spoon (about the thickness of hollandaise sauce), 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring until the butter melts before the next addition. Add a pinch of salt.
2. Transfer the curd to a glass jar and place a piece of plastic wrap on the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Cool completely and refrigerate for up to 3 days. 
3. Make the compote: Combine the blueberries, mint, sugar, and lemon juice in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat until the blueberries release their juices, and the compote thickens slightly, about 8 minutes, stirring often. Discard the mint sprig. Cool completely. Refrigerate for up to 3 days.
4. On the day of serving, assemble the fools. Whip the cream on medium speed until soft peaks form. Add the yogurt and vanilla and continue to whip until traces of the whisk appear. Sprinkle in the sugar and whip until the peaks hold their shape. Add 1/4 cup curd and, using a spatula, gently fold into the cream, leaving some streaks of the curd visible. 
5. Spoon a thin layer of the blueberry compote in the bottom of 6 (4 to 5-ounce) glasses. Add a layer of the whipped cream. Drizzle a layer of lemon curd over the cream and top with a layer of blueberries. Repeat the layering process, finishing with a layer of cream. Garnish each glass with a dab of lemon curd and a spoonful of blueberries.
6. Serve immediately or loosely cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 4 hours.