Easter Luncheon

Easter is a time for rejoicing with family and friends. It’s a time to contemplate new life and rebirth. The flowers begin to bud and bloom, a fresh, green haze begins to appear on the trees. All of nature seems to highlight this most precious season of rebirth and regeneration.

Celebrate the wonder of the season with this bright and delicious Easter Luncheon. When planning the menu, I relied on spring fresh vegetables and fruits as well as a delicious roast chicken that tastes good hot or cold so you can cook it ahead of time. To round out the menu, grab bakery yeast rolls and ask guests to bring a refreshing dessert. You’ll have lunch on the table before all the eggs can be found!

 

There is a very good reason that Strawberry Spinach salad is universally accepted as the salad of spring. Spring strawberries are delectable, especially if you can find local berries. Baby spinach is tender and mild and begs to be slicked with a touch of Poppy Seed Dressing. It’s delicious as is, but I’ve added a list of toppings that will only make this salad better. This salad is fancy enough for a beautiful Easter Luncheon, but is easy enough to whip up for a quick weeknight supper, along side grilled chicken.

 

Strawberry Spinach Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

Yield: 8-10

12 oz. of fresh baby spinach, washed and stemmed

2 pints fresh strawberries, washed and sliced

Poppy Seed Dressing, recipe follows

Toppings:

Chopped cooked bacon

Thinly sliced red onion

Candied Pecans

Crumbled goat cheese

Prepare the dressing and set aside.

In a large salad bowl, toss together the spinach and strawberries. Toss with ½ cup of the Poppy Seed Dressing right before serving. Serve with the remaining dressing and desired toppings.

Poppy Seed Dressing Yield: 2 ½ cups

½ cup sugar

½ cup apple cider vinegar

½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

½ teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 cup light olive oil

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

2 Tablespoons poppy seeds

 

In the jar of a small blender, blend the sugar, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce and mustard until smooth. Add the oil and blend for 1 to 2 more minutes or until the mixture has emulsified. Taste and add salt and pepper as necessary. Store tightly sealed in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

When the first asparagus tips emerge from the chilly soil, die-hard asparagus lovers are already lined up. What better way to welcome spring and celebrate Easter than serve a platter of fresh, delicately roasted asparagus sprinkled with almonds.

Oven Roasted Asparagus

Yield: 8-10 servings

3 pounds of fresh asparagus, washed

2-4 Tablespoons high quality olive oil

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

½ cup slivered almonds, toasted

 

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with foil and set aside.

Choose one asparagus stem, and snap off the woody end. Use this asparagus as a measuring device; bundle the remaining asparagus in a large rubber band and use a sharp knife to trim the woody ends.

Place the asparagus on the prepared baking sheet; drizzle the olive oil over the asparagus; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 20-30 minutes or until the asparagus are tender and beginning to brown; sprinkle with the almonds and serve.

It has been said that the mark of a good cook is how well he or she roasts a chicken. However, there is really no definitive “best” way to perform this culinary alchemy. Some would say roast the chicken breast side up, others breast down. Some declare the only way to roast a chicken in vertically, while others prefer to spatchcock (remove the backbone and flatten the bird).

Really the only thing most experts will agree on, (with the exception of the spatchcockers) is that the bird usually roasts better when trussed. Sadly, I can never find cotton kitchen twine when I need it; therefore all of my roast chickens tend to be a bit splayed, but still delicious.

I’m going to let you in on a little secret. Oil the skin liberally, use lots and lots of salt and seasoning on the skin and inside the bird and determine doneness, not by time, but by a meat thermometer inserted in the innermost part of the thigh and wing and in the thickest part of the breast. There you have it, oil + seasoning + proper cooking temperature = amazing roast chicken. Trussing optional, thank goodness.

 

Roast Chicken with Lemon and Garlic

Yield: 6-8 servings

4-5 pound whole chicken

4 Tablespoons Meyer lemon flavored olive oil

Zest of 1 lemon, cut the lemon into fourths

1 large or 2 medium garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon poultry seasoning

Lots of salt and freshly ground pepper

Lots of salt and freshly ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, lemon zest, garlic and poultry seasoning. Set aside.

Remove the giblets from the chicken; wash the chicken in cold running water and pat dry with paper towels. Using a silicone baking brush, or your hands, rub the entire chicken, inside and out, with the seasoned olive oil. Liberally salt, inside and out, the chicken and sprinkle with pepper. Stuff the chicken’s cavity with the quartered lemon.

Place the chicken in a roasting pan fitted with a V-rack breast side up. If you do not have this, choose a large cast iron skillet and elevate the chicken with canning jar rings. Use heavy-duty aluminum foil and tent the chicken; roast for 1 hour.

Remove the foil and arrange the sliced lemon on the chicken breast and continue roasting for another hour or until the internal temperature reaches 165-170°F.

Allow the chicken to rest at least 15 minutes before carving.