We got up early Sunday to start the preparations. Melissa prepped in the kitchen while I made the courtyard and gardens presentable. Then I ran to Whole Foods to get some last-minute items before the guests arrived -- avocados, blood oranges and the bouquet of spring daisies pictured above. On the menu for ten people were prosciutto-wrapped asparagus bunches, potatoes with red peppers, avocado and onions, and eggs Benedict. We had some variations on the standard Benny by offering a choice of salmon or prosciutto and conventional or orange-chipotle holladaise sauces. I believe the prosciutto/chipotle combination was the most popular by a fair margin, but all were fantastic.
In order to serve everyone at the same time and still have time to enjoy a glass of bubbly with our guests before the meal, Melissa made a few strategic preparations early that morning. The asparagus were blanched and wrapped, and since we planned to serve them cold they could sit to the side until needed. The potatoes took some time to cook but were left warming gently on the stove top while people arrived. Most importantly, Melissa half-poached a dozen eggs for the Benedicts way ahead of time and plunged them into ice-water to stop the cooking. This is a great trick, because a brief dip in boiling water from the kettle finished them off and allowed her to serve them hot at the last minute. She made one large batch of regular hollandaise sauce and added in the orange and chipotle peppers after assembling the dishes that required the conventional stuff. (I don't know how she thinks of all this when she has never served brunch for ten before.) A little help with assembly and delivery from Amanda and me made the perfect service. Our guests brought fresh fruit and wines, and we enjoyed some bubbly, some fresh summery whites, and a sparkling shiraz from Australia (made by Paranga) that was really stellar. That was a new one for us.
Tuesday night we decided to initiate the grill for the new season. We had actually used it already to blacken some bell peppers for use in the Sunday brunch potatoes, but that doesn't really count. We made a very simple favorite of ours: pork loin medallions marinated in equal parts Worcestershire sauce and smoked chipotle Tabasco sauce. Melissa whipped together a great salad of arugula, blood orange and avocado -- all left over from Sunday brunch. Spicy, smokey goodness in about half an hour.
Here's looking forward to a lot more outdoor dining now that the big thaw is complete!
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