We don’t mean to gloat but one of our favorite things about California is our amazing weather.
Okay, that and the farm-fresh local produce. Okay, that’s two things but together they inspired this Southern California winter brunch.
The sunny days and year-round farmers’ markets are two things that give us big love for our home region so we decided to celebrate it with this brunch.
We gathered together with our Friends Who Fete partners-in-crime, Kate and Meg, and invited over a few girlfriends for a delicious (if we do say so ourselves) brunch.
The good news? Even if you don’t live in Southern California, you can recreate the majority of this menu. The even better news? We believe brunch should be no-fuss and make ahead but impressive all the same so you can sleep in but still look like an entertaining star!
Ready to get a peek into it all? Read on for the menu, the decor, and tips for how to pull it off yourself.
PARTY MENU
This is one of those menus that looks impressive (and maybe a little daunting) but is totally doable. You can prep every dish ahead of time (just don’t toss the fruit with the dressing until you’re ready to serve it!) and it’s a satisfying mix of brunch favorites (bacon! eggs!) and lighter flavors. Here’s the full menu:
- Blood Orange Ginger Sangria
- Fruit Salad with Fennel, Strawberries, and Pistachios
- Almond Ricotta & Roasted Rosemary Grape Tartines
- Spinach and Onion Quiche with Hash Brown Crust
- Pistachio Spiced Coconut Carrot Muffins
- Tequila Brown Sugar Bacon
Oh, and even though it’s a “winter” brunch, we actually used Spring flavors too, so it’s the perfect late winter/early spring menu. In other words, you’re going to want to make this right now! Here’s a deeper look into each dish we prepared:
We have so much incredible winter citrus in Southern California that we decided to put a ton of it in this sangria! Made with local white wine, blood orange juice, ginger liqueur, and a ton of local citrus — kumquats! blood oranges! Cara Cara oranges! — this is like taking a sip of winter in SoCal.
Fruit Salad with Honey-Lemon Dressing and Pistachios
The minute March arrives, we’re all-systems-go on Spring hence this fruit salad. Made with one of our favorite unexpected combos — fennel and strawberries — it’s a totally sophisticated take on fruit salad.
Almond Ricotta & Roasted Rosemary Grape Tartines
Have you ever roasted grapes? Because it’s one of our all-time favorite ways to serve the fruit. You could roast them and serve them as part of a cheeseboard but at least once try them this way — with vegan ricotta and on a crunchy toast — because it’s totally crave-worthy.
Spinach and Onion Quiche with Hash Brown Crust
How do you up the ante on quiche and hash browns? Combine them! Two of our favorite brunch dishes come together in this recipe and the sum is so much better than the parts!
Pistachio Spiced Coconut Carrot Muffins
Here at Salt & Wind we do not like overly sweet muffins, because, well, then they might as well be cupcakes. We like slightly sweet, slightly salty muffins that are a perfect pair to a cup of coffee.
And, if we do say so, these muffins are just that. Inspired by carrot cake but nowhere near as sweet, these healthy-ish muffins are loaded with coconut, pistachios, carrots, and a bunch of spices. Oh, and they’re totally gluten-free!
Last but certainly not least is the bacon. Let’s be real: if you have a brunch and there’s no bacon, is it even brunch!?!? All joking aside this bacon is a total showstopper with a sweet, smoky, boozy taste — we want tequila brown sugar bacon always and forever!
TIPS FOR A SUCCESSFUL BRUNCH
Look, brunch should not be a stressful situation. Yes, some are fancier than others, but, in general, brunch should be a low-stress situation where you can just enjoy your friends. Here’s how to make it more fun than frenetic:
- Make As Much Ahead: The number one sign of a good brunch? The hostess isn’t running around like a lunatic and cooking the whole time. That’s why we always make our brunch menus as make-ahead as possible. This whole menu can be made up to one day ahead (just don’t garnish the sangria or toss the salad with the dressing until you’re ready to serve it all).
- Decide On A Color Palette: Okay, this might sound fussy but it doesn’t have to be. Just decide on a simple color palette (ours was sage, blush, and white) and run with it for the florals and (if possible) the tabletop decor. It’ll make everything feel cohesive even if none of your plates or linens are matchy matchy.
- Make Mostly Allergy Free Foods: Our brunch had guests who were gluten-free so we made sure to make the menu 100% gluten-free. These days we do our best to have at least one dish on the menu that’s safe from every major allergen (dairy, nuts, gluten, etc) so we don’t get thrown for a curveball if someone shows up last minute with a dietary restriction.
- Lean Into The Season: We’re big on seasonality around here and that includes the winter season. We actually threw this brunch at the end of winter and the start of Spring so it’s kind of a “swing season” meal in the sense that we had produce from both seasons at once. The point is: head to your local market and gets the freshest produce you can find and build your menu around that for the freshest, low-fuss flavors.
- Batch The Cocktails: If you’re going to serve cocktails (which we think you should), then you should serve something that can be made in bulk. Whether it’s a punch or something you can make in pitchers (like this Sangria or a margarita), make something that’s easy to just set out and forget it so you don’t have to play bartender all brunch.
- Buy A Bit: There’s no need to be a hero and hand make every last item. Buy some croissants from your favorite bakery or have a guest bring a store-bought dessert — so long as it’s delicious, it’s fair game!
- Start Midmorning: Brunch should be casual so there’s no need to start first thing. Give yourself time to roll out of bed and have a few cups of coffee and then invite guests over when you’d already be getting hungry, say 11 AM.
HOW TO FLORALS
At this party we kept the florals super simple with a mix of blush roses, eucalyptus, and succulents scattered around the party in a bunch of glass bud vases.
TABLETOP DECOR
Keeping in the blush tones and the laidback theme of our brunch, we searched through our cupboards for plates, linens, and glassware to decorate the table.
Here are a few of our favorites from the party:
- Small Weck Jars
- Twig Cheese Knives
- Himalayan Salt Block
- Gray Handmade Bowl
- Flora Poste Shibori Essex Linen Napkins
- Organic Gold Rimmed Dinnerware
- Juliska Petal Pink Tumbler
- Isabella Martini Pitcher
Need more party inspo? Check out the Friends Who Fete Instagram or find our other parties here!
Okay, now head into the kitchen, make this meal, and share it with us by tagging @saltandwind and #swsociety on social!
Connect With Salt & Wind Travel
- Explore The Salt & Wind Travel Services
- Join Our Virtual Cooking Club
- Shop Our Store For Cooking And Travel Inspo
- Have Us Craft You A Custom Travel Itinerary
- Get Our Digital Travel Guides For Food Lovers
- Sign Up For Our Newsletter
More California On Salt & Wind Travel
- Road Trip Los Angeles To Big Sur
- Central California Has Its Own BBQ Style: Here’s Where To Eat It
- Local Food: Where To Eat Garlic In Gilroy California
Sponsored Post: This story is brought to you by California Grown but all content, ideas, and words are our own. Thanks for supporting these sponsors who allow us to keep Salt & Wind up and running.
Photo Credit: By Salt & Wind and This Mess Is Ours
