A Spring Brunch for Easter & Mother’s Day

A Spring Brunch for Easter and Mother’s Day is, at its heart, about gathering – a table filled with light, bright colors, fresh ingredients, and spring dishes designed to be shared. This is the kind of meal that feels abundant without being overwhelming. Where everything can be prepared with ease, and served at a relaxed pace. Each element is simple, but unexpected, bringing a sense of wonder to the table.

This menu is built around a collection of recipes that come together beautifully: a golden hashbrown crust quiche with leeks and Gruyère, a bright lemony, spring greens salad, fresh spring vegetable elements designed for grazing, and a few simple but striking accompaniments that make the table feel full and inviting. Each element is designed to complement the others – fresh, balanced, and rooted in the season.

Whether you’re hosting Easter brunch or celebrating Mother’s Day, this is a menu that allows you to cook ahead, assemble with ease, and enjoy the moment at the table.

The Spring Brunch Menu

• Hashbrown Crust Quiche with Leeks, Gruyère & Chive Oil
• Early Spring Greens Salad with Watermelon Radish & Pecorino
• Garden Crudité Goblets With Garlic & Herb Cheese Dip
• Radish Butter Terrine With Crostini
• My Signature Carrot Cake

---

This is the kind of menu designed to feel abundant, but without being overwhelming – a balance of fresh vegetables, a creamy dip, and a warm, golden quiche at the center of the table. Fresh herbs and greens throughout, it is bright and fresh, with elements of indulgence. With almost everything able to be prepared in advance, it will also make it look effortless. Here’s how each piece comes together:

---

Hashbrown Crust Quiche with Leeks, Gruyère & Chive Oil

The centerpiece of the table – a rich, custardy quiche with a crisp, golden hashbrown crust and delicate rounds of leeks layered throughout. Finished with a drizzle of vibrant chive oil, it’s both comforting and quietly elegant. The hashbrown crust surrounds the quiche in a dramatic jagged basket form – making this beautifully unexpected. Using potatoes, instead of traditional pie crust, makes this a great gluten-free brunch choice.

---

Garden Crudité Goblets

A fresh, interactive starter layered with crisp seasonal vegetables and a creamy herb dip, each served in individual glasses. It’s a playful, elevated way to serve crudité that feels both abundant and intentional. Have fun with this, mix and match, and find the most beautiful vegetables at the market. This is your sign to start collecting vintage glasses.

---

Early Spring Greens Salad with Watermelon Radish & Pecorino

A bright, lemony and peppery salad that brings balance to the table, layered with tender greens, shaved watermelon radish, and ribbons of pecorino. Lightly dressed, it adds freshness and contrast to every bite. A perfect pairing for a rich quiche.

---

Radish Butter Terrine

Silky, cultured butter layered with thinly sliced radishes for a simple yet striking addition to the table. Served with crispy crostini and flaky salt, it makes simple ingredients extraordinary and unexpected.

---

My Signature Carrot Cake With Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

A soft, warmly spiced carrot cake layered with pineapple, coconut, and toasted walnuts, finished with a rich brown butter cream cheese frosting. It’s deeply nostalgic with a subtle richness – the kind of dessert that becomes everyone’s favorite. Recently called “the best carrot cake I’ve ever had,” it’s one I come back to again and again.

---

How to Build the Brunch Menu

Start with your centerpiece – The Quiche – something warm, substantial, and easy to slice and serve. It anchors the table and gives guests something to return to throughout the meal. Serve it as the focal point, on a pedestal, centered on the table – it is a striking quiche to see.

Surround it with lighter elements: a bright Spring Greens Salad, a few simple spreads, and fresh vegetables that add color and contrast. These are the pieces that keep the table feeling balanced and seasonal. The bright, lemony flavors offset the richness of the quiche and sing spring.

The Garden Crudité Goblets are a beautiful and unexpected way to serve vegetables – individual, layered, and ready to enjoy. They add height, color, and a sense of abundance without requiring any last-minute assembly. Like miniature arrangements, they are a joy to behold and enjoy. Place them at each place setting, or have them grouped on a tray for guests.

Add a few finishing details that make everything feel thoughtful: a jar of bright green Chive Oil for drizzling, a small bowl of flaky salt, and a platter of crostini alongside the Radish Butter Terrine. These unexpected and thoughtful elements bring the entire table together.

---

Make Ahead Tips

• The Quiche: Prepare the quiche crust and filling ahead, then bake the morning of for the best texture.
• The Accompaniments: Make the chive oil, vinaigrette, and pickled shallots a day in advance so everything is ready to assemble.
• The Dip: Prepare the garlic & herb cheese dip ahead so it can be served straight from the refrigerator.
• The Crudité: Wash and prep the vegetables the day before for easy assembly of the crudité goblets.
• The Radish Butter Terrine: This can be made in advance and sliced just before serving.
• The Carrot Cake & Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting: All of this can be made in advance.

---

Styling the Table

When spring and Easter arrive I am so ready to lean into the soft bright colors of spring. My table is often styled with whites, ivory, and natural linen. For this meal I lean into the colors of the season. Soft greens, lemony yellow, creamy whites, and natural textures. I let the food lead the accent colors, with its mix of colorful fresh vegetables, herbs, and golden baked dishes bringing life to the table.

Layer white plates, linen napkins, and glassware, keeping everything clean and simple. A few fresh flowers or herbs dotted in vases throughout are often all you need to bring that fresh spring feeling while keeping room and eyesight for guests. I add taper candles in ivory of nude. Lighting candles makes everything a feel a little more celebratory.

This is a table meant to celebrate, rejuvenate, and indulge. Gathering round, shared together in layers – where guests can serve themselves, return for seconds, and at long last, savor this delicious cake.

---

I hope this menu brings a sense of ease and beauty to your table this season. If you gather friends or family around any of these recipes, I’d love to hear how it all comes together – the dishes you loved most, the details you added, and the moments you lingered over. I hope you enjoy! Joanna