Kesäinen brunssi

Summer Brunch

Lovely sun and June! This month I want to share recipes for a summery brunch that can be enjoyed in a garden in the morning sun, on a picnic in a park, or on the living room floor if it happens to rain. Here’s the brunch menu:

  • Coconut yogurt, fig & date granola, and poached rhubarb
  • Sourdough bread, herb cashew cream cheese, and pan-fried asparagus
  • Pancake tower
  • Coffee and fruit juice

Coconut yogurt is made with thick, creamy coconut milk and is cultured with probiotic capsules. Fig & date granola is crunchy and sweet and pairs beautifully with coconut yogurt and a bit sour poached rhubarb. The easiest way to get freshly baked sourdough bread is to buy it from your favorite local bakery! Herb cashew cream cheese is soft, creamy, and full of umami and flavors from chives and garlic. Spread a generous layer of cashew cream cheese on toasted sourdough and pile on top pan-fried asparagus and spinach. For dessert, there is an eye-catching pancake tower with all the sides. The most beautiful dishes are made with the new Nosse Ceramics tableware, an abundance of fresh berries, and eatable flowers!

Brunches are wonderful but they can also often be a lot of work. I prefer a long and slow morning where one can lounge in bed all morning and then get up to an almost ready brunch table. With these tips you can have both, a slow morning and a hearty brunch: coconut yogurt, fig & date granola, poached rhubarb, herb cashew cream cheese and the pancake dough (add baking powder right before baking them though!) can be made the night before. Even the table can be set before bed! Now the only thing left to do in the morning is baking the pancakes, roasting asparagus, and making coffee. Have a wonderful brunch!

FIG & DATE GRANOLA


About 1 litre
Active: 15 min
Passive: 30 min
1 dl variety of nuts
1 dl dried figs
4 dl jumbo oats
½ dl buckwheat groats
14 fresh dates
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 dl water
1 tsp cinnamon
Pinch of sea salt


Set the oven to 150 C. Crush nuts with a knife and cut figs into small pieces. Combine oats, buckwheat, nuts, and figs in a bowl. Pit the dates. Blend the dates, coconut oil, maple syrup, water, cinnamon, and a pinch of sea salt in a blender until smooth. Add the date paste to the oat mixture and stir well. Spread the mixture in an even layer on a lined baking sheet and bake in the oven for 30 minutes, stirring halfway through. Leave to cool completely before transferring into a glass jar. Serve granola with oat milk or coconut yogurt and poached rhubarbs or snack from the jar. Enjoy!


COCONUT YOGHURT


3 dl
Active: 5 min
Passive: 12 h
1 can (4 dl) full fat coconut milk
1 tsp vanilla powder
1 tsp maple syrup
2 probiotic capsules


Combine the coconut milk, vanilla powder, and maple syrup in a bowl. Open the probiotic capsules and pour the contents into the bowl. Stir well. Leave covered at room temperature for 12-24 hours. When the flavor has received the right amount of sourness to your liking, transfer it to the fridge where it will keep for a few days. Serve with fig & date granola and poached rhubarbs and enjoy!

Tip: Choose full-fat coconut milk from the shop – it should have at least 16 g of fat per 100 g to make a thick, creamy yogurt. The flavor may vary depending on the brand, so try a few until you find your favorite.

Tip: Lactic acid bacteria in the probiotic capsule culture the yoghurt, which is great for gut health! Make sure to use probiotic capsules that can be opened, those that have the probiotics as a powder inside them, in this recipe

POACHED RHUBARB


2 dl
Active: 10 min
Passive: 1 h
200 g / 4 dl rhubarb stalks
1 small beetroot / 1 tbsp beetroot juice
1 dl water
1 dl maple syrup
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp organic lemon zest


Wash the rhubarb stalks and cut them into a few cm long pieces. You can peel the stalks if preferred. Peel and zest the beetroot. Squeeze 1 tbsp of juice from the beetroot zest. The leftover zest is not needed in the recipe anymore, feel free to add it to your salad, hummus, or curry the next day! Add water, maple syrup, and beetroot juice into a saucepan and heat until it boils. Add the rhubarbs and simmer for a few minutes, until rhubarb is soft. Add the lemon juice and zest and stir. Let the mixture cool in the pan and transfer into a clean jar. If you prefer a thicker rhubarb syrup, you can spoon the rhubarb stalks into a jar and simmer the leftover liquid a few minutes until it thickens. Let it cool and pour on top of the rhubarb stalks. Serve poached rhubarb with coconut yogurt or vanilla ice cream and enjoy!


HERB CASHEW CREAM CHEESE


3 dl
Active: 10 mi
Passive: 30 min
3 dl cashew nuts
½ tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp lemon juice
¼ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp onion powder
Generous sprinkle of sea salt flakes
1 (-2) tbsp water
A big bunch of chives
A big bunch of basil or parsley
Small bunch of dill


Soak the cashew nuts in hot water for half an hour to soften them. Add cashew nuts, vinegar, lemon juice, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and 1 tbsp of water into a blender and blend until smooth, adding more water 1 tbsp at a time if needed. Chop the fresh herbs and mix them into the cashew paste in a bowl. Serve it with fresh sourdough, pan-fried asparagus, and spinach!

PAN-FRIED ASPARAGUS AND SPINACH


2 servings
Active: 15 min


8 asparagus spears
70 g spinach
4 cloves of garlic
2 tbsp olive oil
Generous pinch of sea salt flakes
Generous pinch of black pepper
1 tbsp lemon juice


Wash the asparagus and cut off a few cm from the hard end. Chop the garlic cloves. Heat olive oil in a pan and cook the chopped garlic for a few minutes. Add the asparagus and cook for around 5 minutes, until they are roasted. Add spinach, a generous sprinkle of sea salt flakes, and freshly cracked black pepper. Toss the spinach around until it is wilted. Finish the dish with a touch of lemon juice and serve while hot.


PANCAKE TOWER


5-6 pancakes, 1 tall tower
Active: 30 min
1 dl rolled oats
1 dl all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp cardamom
Pinch of sea salt
½ banana
1 dl oat milk
1 tbsp oil
1 tbsp maple syrup


Grind the rolled oats into flour in a blend. Pour into a bowl and add the all-purpose flour, baking powder, cardamom, and salt. In a blender, mix the peeled banana, oat milk, oil, and maple syrup into a smooth liquid. Add to the dry ingredients and combine. Leave the mix to thicken for about 10 minutes. Fry the pancakes on a dry, hot pan. Arrange the pancakes into a tower and garnish them with coconut yogurt, poached rhubarb, fresh berries, and eatable flowers! Add a generous splash of rhubarb- or maple syrup on top and enjoy!

Enjoy your breakfast moments!