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!