Like many women, my life has been heavily influenced by my grandmother.  One of the most beautiful traditions that she taught me is the love of garden fresh flavors.  On Easter Sunday, I drew on those lessons learned to create a recipe for a garden brunch perfect for any season.  Enjoy the photo galleries throughout to see how we celebrated al fresco with a family meal made from the freshest flavors of spring!

— MENU—
Mixed Greens Salad with Grilled Scottish Salmon & Honey-Thyme Vinaigrette
Served with Dijon Deviled Eggs topped with garden Chives
and Coconut Cake for dessert

Step 1: Choose the menu from what’s in season to get the freshest flavors.

At my house, we have a plentiful selection of mixed salad greens growing in our garden.  Some were “volunteers” that grew from last year’s lettuce gone to seed.  Others were purchased this spring from our friends at Grass Root Gardens (1368 Dellwood Rd, Waynesville NC or 828.926.0925).  So, I decided that our Easter brunch would center around a hearty salad topped with grilled Scottish salmon from Sentelle’s Seafood & Specialty Market (8275 Carolina Blvd, Clyde NC or 828.627.2177) — a new listing on our 2014 Agritourism Guide.   Since local eggs are in plenty, we served an old family favorite on the side – Dijon Deviled Eggs with Smoked Paprika (from Pineapple Sage Herb Farm) & Chives

Step 2: Dressing the perfect dining table

One thing that I learned from my Grandmother is that dressing a beautiful dining table doesn’t have to be expensive or a time consuming endeavor—but a little extra effort can elevate any meal to memorable status.   I love a table that reflects the season.  For me, Easter calls for a crisp green & white scheme anchored with artfully decorated Easter eggs from my daughters and a floral arrangement cut from around the garden.

Hover over the photos in this gallery to see how we created a beautifully dressed dinner table for any season!

Step 3: The Recipe

This Easter happened to arrive on the heels of a very busy couple of weeks.  I hadn’t had time to do a lot of grocery shopping, so I looked in my pantry to see what ingredients I could use to layer the salad and create a hearty dish.

We started with a bed of mixed spring greens and romaine hearts.  To that, we added:  Craisins (dried cranberries), toasted pecans, sliced pear and gorgonzola cheese (an Italian blue cheese) to compliment the richness of the salmon.   We grilled the salmon to perfection then topped it all with a homemade Honey-Thyme Vinaigrette.

Honey-Thyme Vinaigrette Recipe

2/3 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/3 cup of Balsamic Vinegar (equal parts = Aged Balsamic + Pomegranate Balsamic)
3 Thyme sprigs, cleaned
Handful of Italian flat leaf Parsley
1 green onion
1 teaspoon local honey, or more to taste
Salt & Pepper

Combine ingredients using an immersion blender or food processor.  Taste for salt & paper.  Adjust acidity if needed.

*Chef’s Note:  The herbs could be finely chopped along with the green onion and added to the liquids after they have been hand-whisked until thick.

Step 4: Serve & Enjoy!

This wonderful dish was perfectly at home under blue skies, surrounded by the people we love most, infused with Easter excitement and hope for the season ahead!

I hope this menu inspires your own seasonal traditions!
Tina Masciarelli, Buy Haywood Project Coordinator

Cook. Share. Enjoy!

We all know what March Madness is— it involves a heated tournament, brackets and that pool of money you don’t mind losing if your inner sports guru is off the mark.

April Madness is a phenomenon that regularly occurs every spring among local food lovers.   Everything that was canned, preserved or frozen from last season is nearly gone and the promise of the season ahead is still weeks away.   Essentially, we find ourselves so hungry for the bold flavors of a bountiful growing season that a sort of madness sets in.

Just when you think you are ready to breakdown and buy produce grown thousands of miles away, spring wakes up in Haywood County.  Luckily, we have the luxury of enjoying four beautifully balanced seasons— each with something unique to offer.  Early spring is no exception.  Enter cool weather crops like garden fresh kale!

Some varieties of kale winter-over better than others.  If you have some growing in your garden, this is the time to enjoy the small tender leaves raw.  Hearty kale is easily elevated to dinner status by adding grilled farm-raised chicken.  For a twist on local, try infusing your salad with Asian flavors by adding honey, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil and toasted sesame seeds to your vinaigrette.  Throw in spring onions or green garlic, dried cranberries, crunchy Asian noodles and top with grilled chicken (optional).

With each bite, you will feel your spring madness slowly transform into spring delight!