Mother's Day Brunch Menu I—Turkish Eggs / Cucumber, Tomato and Olive Salad

Mother's Day Brunch Recipes I

Turkish Eggs, Cucumber, Tomato and Olive Salad

I enlisted my friend, Los Angeles private chef Kat Randazzo, to come up with some ideas for Mother’s Day brunch. She came back with three fantastic menus—each with a nod to a different cuisine.

You can make one whole menu or pick and choose a few dishes depending on how much time you have.

Here’s the first menu and I won’t be waiting until Mother’s Day to make this one! How easy has she made poached eggs for a crowd? And how gorgeous is this?!

Part II can be found here and III here.

Turkish Eggs in Yogurt with Warm Pita

Serves 8
20 minutes

1 qt whole milk plain Greek yogurt
1 lemon, zested and juiced
¼ cup dill, chopped
⅛ cup chives, sliced thin
4 cloves garlic
Kosher salt and pepper, to taste

16 large eggs
3 qts cold water
3 Tb kosher salt

4 oz unsalted butter
1 tsp Aleppo pepper
Fleur de sel

6 pita bread

Preheat the oven to 350° F.

For the yogurt:

In a mixing bowl combine the Greek yogurt, lemon zest and juice, chopped dill, chives and season with salt and pepper. Use a microplane to grate the garlic over top. Whisk together until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary.
Divide the yogurt evenly between 8 bowls.

For the poached eggs:

Heat a large, heavy bottomed pot over medium high heat. Add the cold water and salt.
Crack your eggs into a mixing bowl, being careful not to crack any yolks.
When the water comes up to a simmer, gently release the cracked eggs into the water. Give a stir with a rubber spatula to ensure the eggs don’t stick to the bottom of the pan.
The water should be just warm enough that the little bubbles coming up keep the eggs gently moving about the pot.
Cook over medium to medium-low heat until the egg whites are firm, but the yolks are soft and runny. Remove from the heat.
Make a divet in the yogurt and gently spoon two eggs into the center.
In a saute pan, melt the butter and stir in the Aleppo pepper. Spoon a little bit of butter over each serving.
Garnish with some fleur de sel.

For the pita:

While the eggs are cooking, arrange the pita in the warm oven directly on the rack(s).
Warm for 2 minutes and remove from the oven.
Cut into 6 triangles each and place in a basket lined with a linen napkin.

Serve with the warmed pita and enjoy!

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Cucumber, Tomato and Olive Salad with Sumac, Tahini, Olive Oil and Mint

Serves 8
15 minutes

6 Persian cucumbers
1 pint cherry tomatoes
1 pint mixed olives
1 lemon, zested
2 oz extra virgin olive oil
1 cup tahini (Whole Foods 365 or Soom brands recommended)
½ tsp sumac
¼ tsp Aleppo pepper
¼ cup mint leaves, picked
⅛ cup oregano leaves, picked
Kosher salt and pepper to taste

Slice the cucumbers ½” thick on the bias.
Place the tahini in a serving bowl and season with salt and pepper on top. Drizzle with the olive oil, sprinkle the Aleppo pepper.
Place the tahini bowl in the center of a platter and arrange the cucumbers, tomatoes and olives all around.
Zest the lemon over the veg and sprinkle the sumac and herbs around.
Serve and enjoy!