Spring is here and it’s finally time to entertain again! I’m definitely a hermit in the winter but once spring comes and I feel the hints of warm air and smell the budding flora around outside, I always feel a huge wave of rejuvenation and nostalgia of good times had with friends. To celebrate this year, I hosted a small brunch and wanted it to be colorful & happy and delicious & light. I initially wanted the setting to be outside, but get this, it SNOWED the night before and left us with two inches on the ground (not happy), SO we regrouped. I set my dining room table with my favorite place settings from Juliska and the most vibrant, spring-like tablecloth I could find.
I made all of the dishes that morning and they were so simple to prepare, they took me all of 45 minutes combined. I served an asparagus-gruyere frittata with an arugula-grapefruit-goat cheese salad and fresh berries. To drink, I served three different wines by Kendall Jackson, the Kendall-Jackson Grand Reserve Rose, the K-J AVANT Chardonnay, and the 2013 K-J AVANT Sauvignon Blanc. The food and wine paired so nicely together as did the company and good vibes. Take a peek at the brunch and all of the details including the recipes, wine, and table decor are below!
The Wine: I’m a huge fan of Kendall Jackson and was thrilled to partner with them for this brunch. They are a family-owned American winery trusted by generations of wine enthusiasts for crafting a wide variety of consistent, high-quality wines from the best vineyards in California. I used their Grand Reserve Rose and it was DELICIOUS. Crisp and dry on the palate, the wine was stainless steel cold fermented and bottled early to capture the fruit. 77% Grenache and 23% Pinot Noir. I also served two wines (the chardonnay and sauvignon blanc0 from the Kendall-Jackson AVANT collection: A new style of wines. This collection takes its name from the French word “AVANT,” meaning before – before the barrel wood imparts flavor. Fruit forward and expressive, K-J AVANT wines are made for those who prefer expressive, vibrant wines. The wines retail from $14-$22 and are such a great value.
The Food: The frittata is SO simple and light, perfect to serve at a brunch or even as a light dinner.
The salad is so simple, it’s just arugula, grapefruit chunks, goat cheese, olive oil, salt & pepper! I actually squeezed a little of the grapefruit juice in the salad to give it a little extra oomph.
And then mixed berries of your choice with a squeeze of lemon.
The Table: Oh, Juliska how I love thee. The place settings are all Juliska. The plates are from their Country Estate collection, the flatware is from their Bamboo line (real bamboo on stainless steel), I used the blue heirloom napkin for a vintage feel, the chargers are from the Waveny Wicker collection and are on sale, and the glassware. I used the Graham Small Goblets which are quite possibly the prettiest and most elegant wine glasses I’ve ever held <insert heart bbursting emoji> and the pink Arabella Petal Pink Tumblers. I think it all looked so beautiful and springy together ESPECIALLY over the brightly colored tablecloth. I found that at Homegoods and it’s buy April Cornell, you can find similar ones here.
Thank you to my partners on this pretty brunch, Kendall Jackson and Juliska, and to my amazingly talented friend Steph at Stephanie Elliot Photography for the gorgeous photos.