The New Way To Brunch: How To Start A Weekend Brunch Club

The arrival of warm weather means almost everyone is searching for an excuse to gather with family and friends to soak up the excitement of the new season. And nothing says welcoming entertainment like meeting up at your favorite spot over brunch. Considered to be something you did on special occasions in past years, it is not uncommon today to find a host of restaurants and bistros that typically offer this up as standard fare.

But what can you do if your family and friends say yes to the idea of weekend brunch, but your budget says no? One great way to partake in what is fast becoming a weekend tradition is to create a floating brunch club consisting of family friends and make your favorite spot each of your homes. By forming a brunch club everyone gets to share in the expense and work without placing it on just one person. Keep in mind too that you can make this easy with simple egg dishes or you can go all out to include prime rib and all the trimmings.

To get you started here are some simple tips, plus a bonus recipe for a brunch-ready Spanish Tortilla.

#1 Choose Your Club Members

Determine how often you would like to meet and how many people you would like to invite to participate. Keep in mind too that this might not be for everyone. Make sure you offer this up to family and friends who don’t mind hosting such an event.

#2 Set A Schedule

Set up a calendar, making sure to allow for flexibility to be able to change the dates when or if necessary. The idea is to not create stress but rather to make it a relaxing occasion.

#3 Plan The Menu

For each gathering, create a menu and assign dishes to each person attending. The main course, will be the responsibility of the host with other guests being responsible for side dishes and beverages. The biggest tip here? Keep it simple!

#4 Designate A Few Helping Hands

Assign a clean-up committee to help with getting everything in order at the end of each gathering. Be sure to rotate responsibility for each event to allow the work to be spread fairly among the group.

#5 Scout Out Restaurant Options, Too

Be on the lookout for catering specials from local restaurants to relieve some of the burden of having to prepare food.

#6 Don't Forget The Camera

Capture the moments with lots of selfies and other keepsakes.

Farm Girl’s Spanish Tortilla

Ingredients

• 1 dozen petite red potatoes, scrubbed
• 1 medium sweet potato, peeled
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 jalapeno, seeds removed
• 1 medium sweet onion
• 4 cloves garlic
• 6 extra large eggs, beaten
• Kosher salt
• Coarse ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon each, basil, oregano, thyme
• Olive oil

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using a mandolin, slice potatoes and onions as thinly as possible. Chop bell pepper and jalapeño pepper. Chop garlic as finely as possible.
2. Heat a large oven proof skillet until hot on medium heat. Generously coat the skillet with olive oil
3. Beginning with onion, sauté until just tender. Add red potato and sauté for 5 minutes. Repeat this step with sweet potato, red bell pepper and jalapeño pepper. Add garlic and stir to combine all ingredients. Continue cooking for an additional minute adding additional olive oil, a little at a time, to keep vegetables from sticking to pan.
4. Add herbs, salt and pepper and stir. When vegetables are slightly browned, reduce heat to low.
5. Pour beaten eggs over vegetables.
6. Insert pan in oven and allow to bake until set, about 5 minutes.
7. Remove from oven and allow to rest for a couple of minutes. Invert onto a large plate. Serve with a hot pepper sauce for extra flavor.

Copyright Bonnie McDaniel, Farm Girl In The City™ 2017 All rights reserved

I'm Bonnie McDaniel of Farm Girl In the City™ a contributor for Patch, writing about gardening, cooking, flowers, good living, urban gardening and more!

Connect with me on social media on Twitter and Instagram for your daily dose of food and garden inspiration. You can also find me on Facebook, and check out my blog here. Stay tuned for the release of my new cookbook, the first of the Farm Girl In The City cookbook series, due out later this year!