Issue link: http://southshoremagazine.uberflip.com/i/165447
great tastes Fruit Center Marketplace EFFORTLESS ENTERTAINING: Perfect the art of hosting a beautiful brunch with the utmost ease by taking some help from your favorite grocer. By Jessica Benson There is a time of year when it's not quite still winter but decidedly not yet spring during which we start to feel antsy. The festive (and somewhat stressful) crunch of the holidays is in the rear view but we haven't yet started planning for summer barbecues and back patio birthday parties. During this space between the seasons a simple, fun and inexpensive way to host friends for a get-together is to pull together an (almost) effortless Sunday brunch. The key to hosting brunch without breaking a sweat is twofold. First, acknowledge that entertaining others for a meal does not necessarily have to mean hours and hours of preparation in the kitchen and take some help in the form of high quality, store bought ingredients. Second, prepare everything that is homemade ahead of time. Once this approach is ingrained: plan your menu precisely and figure out exactly what you will make (hopefully just one or two items) and what can be purchased (everything else). This do-ahead preparation is crucial, because the art of hosting is not just about feeding people; it's about being able to connect and catch up. Being able to spend quality time with your guests, which is not something you can do if you're sweating over a frying pan flipping French toast and eggs to order. This simple, straightforward brunch menu cuts every corner it feasibly can, making sure you're relaxed and enjoying yourself, because if you're having fun, chances are your guests are as well. At the Fruit Center Marketplace, we're passionate about making the most of each passing season and the produce and recipes unique to each time of year. Just because Memorial Day is a 46 long stretch down the road, doesn't mean you can't make time to gather together some friends and family and share a leisurely brunch on a sunny Sunday morning. We've got all your resources to do just that. THE MENU: Yogurt, Fruit and Granola Bagels with Scallion Cream Cheese and Smoked Salmon Roasted Tomato, Spinach and Cheddar Strata Homemade Scones with Butter and Honey Mimosas TO PURCHASE: grab creamy Greek yogurt, some fresh seasonal fruit and a sack of your favorite granola at the store. Set these out the morning of in decorative bowls with spoons so guests can serve themselves. Likewise, with your bagel spread: mince two scallions and blend into plain cream cheese and set out with sliced, halved bagels and a pile of savory smoked salmon. Feel free to add a small dish of capers and sliced red onion as well. Make sure to set up a makeshift bar with OJ, ice, glasses and a few chilled bottles of Cava or Prosecco so that you can simply direct your guests to help themselves to mimosas once they arrive. TO MAKE: prepare your cheesy breakfast strata the night before, cover and refrigerate. Prep the dough for your scones, cut them out and place them on a baking sheet. Pop the whole pan in your freezer and in the morning, remove the pan and place it in a preheated oven. The scones can bake while the strata comes up to room temperature, making your house smell terrific and impressing your guests with buttery, warm-from-the-oven scones. To serve, set the scones out with some butter and good quality honey for drizzling.