Well suited to this occasion is a coupé of assorted chilled melon balls for the first-course fruit, scalloped eggs and tomatoes, broiled lamb chops with fresh mint garnish, and pan-browned potatoes as the hot dishes, and small hot muffins, strawberry jam, cinnamon cake, and coffee. Lamb chops may be omitted and crisp bacon served on the eggs.
An alternate menu for brunch might be: a section of chilled cantaloupe garnished with pitted black cherries, eggs Gruyere, broiled thin slices of Easter ham, brown-and-serve biscuits, gooseberry jam or apple butter, pancake pie and coffee.
SCALLOPED EGGS AND TOMATOES
1 ripe tomato for each person to be served
Salt and pepper
Butter
1 egg for each person
Grated Parmesan cheese
Start oven at Moderate (350°F.). Cut tops off tomatoes, scoop out centers, and place in well-buttered, shallow baking dish. Break fresh eggs, one at a time, into a saucer and slip egg into the hollow of each tomato. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, dot with butter. Bake in Moderate oven (350°F.) about 15 minutes, or until eggs are well set. Remove dish from oven, sprinkle generously with cheese, brown under broiler. Then place dish on table warmer on buffet. Serve with curl of crisp bacon on each tomato, unless lamb chops are included in this menu.
EGGS GRUYERE
1 slice bread for each person
Butter
Salt and pepper
1 thin slice Gruyere cheese
1 egg for each person for each person
Grated nutmeg
Start oven at Moderate (350°F.). Cut slices of bread and cheese into rounds of the same size. Fry bread rounds in a little butter, one side only until lightly browned, Season lightly with salt and pepper. Place round of cheese on each round of bread. Place these, cheese side up, in buttered shallow baking dish. Break eggs, one at a time, into a saucer and slip egg onto each round of cheese. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg, dot with butter. Bake in a Moderate oven (350°F.) about 15 minutes or until eggs are nicely set. Place hot dish on table warmer on buffet.
PANCAKE PIE
Make 14 to 18 very large, thin French pancakes. Sprinkle shaved maple or brown sugar and pieces of butter over each. Stack, sprinkle top with confectioners’ sugar. Bring into brunch table warm from the kitchen. Cut into pie-shaped wedges. Serve warm with maple syrup or syrup made with brown sugar and orange juice. One pancake pie serves six.
If there are more than six at the table, serve something else, such as a favorite cinnamon cake, or panetone, the Italian Easter bread that is sold in all Italian bake shops. It is delicious with coffee, super-delicious if you cut it in thin slices and spread with cream cheese thinned with orange juice.