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A southern spring is different than a northern spring. In the south, springtime is a time of flowering beauty, the Bradford pears, the dogwoods, the azalea and blossoming trees. Spring in the north is often called the mud season because it’s when the winter snows melt. Temps aren’t too far above freezing and warm weather is still a few months away. 

 

Linda: A warm spring day in the south is the perfect time to hold a brunch on the patio. Irises are starting to open and the hummingbirds are returning. After a big Easter celebration, a less formal brunch could offer the perfect get-together.

 

Lucy: Let’s start with a quiche. Brunch is the right time for quiche, it’s not breakfast but not quite lunch.

Quiche Lorraine is perfect. Its origins began in the rural Lorraine region of France, during a time when the Lorraine Region was under German rule. 

 

Linda: I learned to make this quiche during a French cooking class. So even though its beginnings were German, the French claim this dish as their own. May 20 is National Quiche Lorraine Day. Whether it’s an April brunch or a May brunch it will still be delicious. 

 

Lucy: I love fresh asparagus this time of year. Once asparagus is planted it takes at least two years before it’s ready to be picked. But fresh asparagus is worth the wait. I found some interesting facts about asparagus. It’s folk name was sparrow grass and it was once classified in the lily family.

 

Linda: If purchasing at your local grocer it’s recommended to look for stalks that are a rich, deep green color that get lighter toward the end of the stalk. The stalks should be firm to the touch. The tips of the asparagus should be tightly closed and the stalks should be uniform for even cooking.

 

Lucy: And there are different methods to prepare this unique vegetable, blanching and roasting. 

 

Linda: I’m thinking that a special muffin would complete the meal. My favorite muffin recipe is our Raspberry Lemon Muffin. It’s a light muffin that even looks like springtime. It will be the perfect finishing touch for our brunch.

 

Lucy: Speaking of our Raspberry Lemon Muffin, I’ll share some news with our readers. This is just one of the many recipes that will be available in our “Two Sisters Cook” cookbook that we are working on. Hopefully, it will be available in June. We’ll keep our readers posted.

 

Linda: We are very excited about this project. We’ve been writing our column for four years. The cookbook will include our favorite column recipes plus others that we’ve been making throughout our many years of cooking. Let’s get our brunch recipes together so our readers can plan their next event.

Quiche Lorraine

Ingredients

1 frozen pie shell (Purchase a premium brand even if more expensive)

4 eggs

3/4 cup milk

3/4 cup heavy cream

2 Tbs melted butter

1 Tbs flour

Pinch of cayenne pepper

Pinch of nutmeg

1 cup grated Swiss or gruyere cheese

1/2 lb bacon, fried until crisp and crumbled

 

Directions

Beat egg, milk, cream, butter, flour, cayenne, and nutmeg together with a wire whisk until blended. Scatter the bacon and cheese over the bottom of the crust. Pour the custard mixture over all and bake in 375-degree oven 40 minutes or until the custard is firm and puffy and lightly browned. Cool slightly. Cut and serve.

 

Oven-Roasted Asparagus

Ingredients

1 bunch thin asparagus spears, trimmed

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 1/2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese 

1 clove garlic, minced 

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 tablespoon lemon juice (Optional)

 

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).

Place asparagus into a mixing bowl; drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, garlic, salt, and pepper. Arrange asparagus in a single layer in a baking dish. Bake in the preheated oven until just tender, 12 to 15 minutes depending on thickness. Sprinkle with lemon juice just before serving.

 

Lemon-Raspberry Pound Cake Muffins

Ingredients

1 cup ounces cake flour (not self-rising)

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp table salt

1/4 cup grated lemon zest

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

3 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup plus 2 tsp powdered sugar

2 Tbs plus 1 1/2 tsp lemon juice, divided

1 pint raspberries

 

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a cupcake tin with 8 foil cupcake liners. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and lemon zest. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat together the butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in the vanilla. Add half the flour mixture and mix just until combined. Beat in the cream and 2 tablespoons of  lemon juice. Add the remaining flour mixture, beating just until combined. Spoon the batter into the muffin cups, filling them halfway. Press four raspberries gently into the center of the batter in each cup, then top with more batter, filling the cups just to the tops of the liners. Bake on the oven’s center rack until golden on top and a toothpick inserted at the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Transfer the cakes to a wire rack and let cool completely. While the cupcakes are baking, make the glaze. In a small bowl whisk together the powdered sugar and remaining lemon juice until smooth. When the cupcakes are cooled, drizzle the glaze over each cake.