Mother's Day Brunch Recipes from Local Dutchess County Chefs

Date Published: May 7, 2020

Mother's Day may look a little different this year, but that doesn't mean we can't make mom feel extra special. It's the perfect opportunity to impress mom in the kitchen. Whether you're an advance at-home cook, or looking to learn a few things, we've asked some local Dutchess County chefs to share some of their favorite Mother's Day Brunch recipes. Keep it easy or try your hand at something more complex - there's something here for everyone to try!

Spring Vegetable Frittata

By: Chef Beth Daidone, Babette's Kitchen, Millbrook

"My mom made frittata often for a family dinner. We took the left overs to school for lunch the next day on Italian Bread as a sandwich. It reminds me of her every morning I am making a frittata for our customers. You can make it with almost any vegetables you have to hand or just with onions, potatoes and cheese." - Chef Beth Daidone

Instructions:
1. Wash desired vegetables of your choice. We have chosen local asparagus, ramps and cherry tomatoes. 
2. Sautee Vegetables in cooking oil of your choice in your choice of oven proof pan. We prefer a well-seasoned cast iron pan. Season with salt and pepper.
3. In a bowl beat 10 eggs with ½ cup of milk or half and half. Add salt and pepper. Beat well.
4. Pour egg mixture onto hot vegetables in pan and stir to spread vegetables throughout the eggs.
5. Top with grated cheese of your choice. We used Asiago. 
6. Place pan in 400 degree preheated oven for about 10 minutes. When top of frittata feels set to touch and starting to come away from the sides it is ready. Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes. Turn out onto cutting board or serve right out of pan. 
7. ENJOY! Serve with a crispy piece of bread and/or a nice green salad!

Beet Melon Salad

By: Chef & Owner Brandon Walker, Essie's Restaurant, Poughkeepsie

Essie’s is named after Chef Walker’s Virginian born maternal Grandmother whose southern cooking has greatly influenced his food. 

"My happiest memories take place in the kitchen with my mom and grandma. This is a great Mother's Day dish because I know there are a lot Mother's who like beets and watermelon!" - Chef Brandon Walker

Yield 4 portions 

Ingredients:
3 ea Roasted Large Beets Medium Diced
3 cups Water
1 cup Red wine vinegar
2 ea Sprigs Fresh Thyme
2 Tbsps. black peppercorns
2 Tbsps. Coriander seeds
1 ea orange zest
2 ea Tomatillos Medium Diced
¼ ea. Watermelon Medium Diced
½ cup Feta Cheese Crumbled or Diced
¼ cup Olives slices
1ea. Avocado, Medium diced
1ea Whole grain pita cut into wedges
Chives to taste
Parsley chopped to taste
Salt and pepper as needed 

Instructions:

1. Pre-Heat your oven to 350 degrees. In a roasting pan add beets, water, vinegar, thyme, black pepper, coriander, orange zest, and cover with foil cook for 1hr in the oven or until beets are cooked through. Use a fork to test for doneness if there is minimal resistance then you are good. Please note: Water will evaporate if you need to add more don’t hesitate not to.
2. Once Beets are done pull them from the pan and discard everything else, using a towel peel the beets until all skin is off and let the beets cool. Then Cut then into a medium dice and reserve.
3. On a sheet tray or roasting pan place pita on the tray and drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper and bake 350 for 10 minutes or until pita is crispy or toasted. And reserve.

Red Wine Vinaigrette Ingredients: 
1 cup Sherry Vinegar or Red wine vinegar
1ea Shallot chopped
2 Tbsps. honey
1 Tbsps. Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper as needed
3 cups Sunflower Oil (I used local Hudson valley Cold Pressed Oils!)

Instructions:
In a bowl or blender add vinegar, salt, pepper, Shallot, Dijon mustard, honey and mix until smooth. Adjust the seasoning and then slowly stream in oil until emulsified and reserve. 

Assembly:
In a bowl add beets tomatillos, watermelon, feta, olives, avocado, chives, parsley, red wine vinaigrette, salt and pepper to taste, mix and serve on desired plate and finish with pita chips. 

Cream Puffs

By: Chef & Owner Agnes Devereux, Agnes Devereux Catering

"This is my multi-step recipe for Cream Puffs because there is no better time than now to tackle a multi step delicious recipe for your Mom!

These Cream Puffs were a signature pastry at The Village Tearoom. It’s all about flavor and texture. A crisp Choux pastry filled with a silky voluptuous vanilla flecked pastry cream. Really good eggs with bright orange yolks shine in this recipe. They are capped with a shiny glossy semi sweet chocolate glaze. This is the time to break out the good chocolate; Callebaut or Valhrona." - Chef Agnes Devereux

Note: The recipe can be tackled over two days. If you make the Choux ahead be sure to crisp them in a 350 oven for five minutes before filling with pastry cream. They are at their best when the pastry cream is cold and the chocolate glaze is still slightly warm. 

Pate Á Choux

Ingredients:
16 oz  Water
6 oz Butter
1/2 teaspoon Salt
10 Oz Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
10 Eggs

Instructions:
1. Combine water, butter & salt in a large pan over medium heat; bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.
2. At the boil remove pan from the heat, add the flour, stirring until smooth. Return to the heat and cook stirring constantly, and vigourously until the paste dries slightly & begins to leave the sides of the pan. Transfer the paste to the bowl of an electric mixer, beat on lowest speed with a paddle to cool slightly.
3. Add 7 eggs all at once. Increase to medium until the eggs are absorbed. Verify the density of the paste & add the remaining eggs one at a time, as necessary (Can be refrigerated up to 4 hours. Does not need to come to room temperature before being piped)
4. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Bake for 10 minutes with oven door shut. Do not open door in first ten minutes of baking!
5. Then an additional 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees. Open the door often to release steam. 

Chocolate Glaze 

Ingredients: 
3 fl Oz Water
3 fl Oz Light corn syrup
8 oz Sugar
8 oz  Bittersweet Chocolate

Instructions: 
1. Make a syrup from the water, corn syrup & sugar. Place over medium heat & bring to a boil, stirring often to make sure all the sugar is dissolved. Wipe sides of pan with a pastry brush dipped in water to make sure sugar crystals do not form.
2. At the boil remove from the heat and add chocolate all at once.
3. Let stand 2 minutes & whisk smooth. Do not incorporate air. Needs to cool for several hours before it can be used for cream puffs.

Vanilla Pastry Cream

Ingredients:
32 fluid oz Half & Half (4 cups) I use Ronnybrook Farm!
7 oz (1 cup) Sugar
¼ Teaspoon Salt
10 Large Egg Yolks
6 Tablespoons Cornstarch
4 oz cold Unsalted Butter, cut into 8 pieces
3 Teaspoons Vanilla Bean Paste Nielsen Massey

Yield: Pastry Cream for 18 cream puffs 

Instructions:
1. Heat half & half & 5 oz sugar & salt in heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat until simmering, stirring occasionally to dissolve sugar.
2. Meanwhile, whisk egg yolks in bowl until thoroughly combined. Whisk in remaining 2 oz sugar & whisk until sugar has begun to dissolve & mixture is creamy. Whisk in cornstarch until combined & mixture is pale yellow & thick.
3. When half & half mixture reaches a full simmer, gradually whisk simmering half & half into yolk mixture to temper. Return mixture to saucepan & simmer over medium heat whisking constantly, until 3 or 4 bubbles burst on surface & mixture is thickened & glossy.
4. Strain mixture through a sieve into a bowl & whisk in butter & vanilla. Press plastic wrap directly on the surface & refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

Assembly:
Fill each choux pastry with vanilla cream
Dip the top of each filled choux pastry into the chocolate glaze
Let set
Enjoy!