Published: March 19, 2008 12:40 am    PrintThis  

Traditions, with a fresh take, grace this season’s Easter table

Whether you celebrate Easter with brunch, lunch or dinner, the holiday is filled with food traditions that include family favorites and ethnic dishes.

But two traditions stand out.

Throughout the day, the classics — hard-cooked Easter eggs and a regal ham — often find their way to the table. Not only is there a new take on these favorites, there are also new ideas for the holiday meal.

More than half of hosts select ham as their centerpiece dish, according to a survey by the National Pork Board. It’s lean, easy to prepare and tastes good.

Ham became a tradition thanks to farming communities. In pre-refrigeration days, hogs were slaughtered in the fall and cured for six to seven months, just in time for Easter dinner.

Hard-boiled, decorated eggs have been part of Easter for centuries. The Easter egg symbolizes new life. The hard-cooked eggs can be used in countless ways: on salads, in egg salad and the ever popular deviled eggs.

Makings of an Easter brunch

A classic Easter brunch menu features a spiral-cut ham, scrambled eggs, potatoes and bacon, pastries and other dishes.

But another option is crepes. The paper-thin pancake can be made from plain or sweetened batters. A savory crepe filled with fresh asparagus and mushrooms makes a lovely platter for the buffet table. Best of all, the crepe pancake can be made in advance and assembled and baked for 15 minutes before serving.

Long, fresh asparagus spears are perfect to fill a crepe. The sauce is a delicious Gruyere cheese-cream mixture.

“Crepes are always easier than you think,” says Kay Lynne Schaller.

Setting out an Easter buffet

Hard-cooked Easter eggs make delicious deviled eggs for any meal. What better way to use up leftover Easter eggs?

As for the classic Easter ham, boneless hams yield roughly four to five servings per pound. Bone-in hams — available in a variety of shapes, including whole, shank or butt half — serve two to three people per pound.

Through the years, various glazes have been popular, from those made with Coca-Cola to Dijon mustard ones. A honey-glazed ham has become a favorite because the glaze helps lock in moisture and taste as the meat bakes. Brushing on a honey glaze during the last 20 to 30 minutes of baking gives ham a beautiful golden brown color.

While some guests prefer conventional ham flavor, the savory glaze is new this year. Adventuresome cooks are adding ingredients such as balsamic-soaked figs, pink peppercorns for a delicate pepper flavor, and fresh ginger and Chinese five-spice powder, as in the Honey Ginger Five-Spiced Glaze, to their hams. Test the flavor combination before brushing it on to make sure it will appeal to you and your guests.

Side dishes and leftovers

Spring vegetables and fruits bring flavor and color to the holiday table — from asparagus and fresh peas to pineapple to adorn the ham, to luscious, light salads and desserts.

When the day is over, however, there’s often leftover Easter eggs and ham. Maple-Apple Upside Down Ham Loaf is a great solution for excess ham. Made with fresh maple syrup, when available, the ham loaf is packed in the pan on top of slices of tart apple covered with syrup. Once baked, the ham sits for five minutes before it is turned upside down on a platter.

Leftover ham can also be added to omelets, fresh green beans, pasta salads, red beans and rice, scalloped potatoes and quiche. Make ham salad for sandwiches and hors d’oeuvres.

Use up leftover Easter eggs by crumbling them over Cobb salad, sliced across spinach salad and chopped in pasta salad. Hard-cooked eggs are portable enough to put in a lunch box with a cold pack, and great to eat as an after-school snack.



Asparagus and Mushroom-Filled Crepes

1 pound fresh asparagus, ends trimmed

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

8 ounces button mushrooms, thinly sliced

1 small yellow onion

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3/4 cup chicken or vegetable stock

1/4 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup Gruyere cheese

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

8 savory crepes (recipe follows)

1/2 cup Gruyere cheese for topping

For the crepes:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/8 teaspoon Kosher salt

3 large eggs

1 cup milk

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Additional unsalted butter for frying

To make the filling: Bring a large saute pan of salted water to boil over high heat. Add asparagus and cook until tender crisp, about two minutes. Transfer the asparagus to a colander, refresh under cold running water to stop the cooking, and drain well. Set aside.

In a medium saute pan, melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium high heat. Add mushrooms and cook until moisture has evaporated and mushrooms are golden brown. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter over medium high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about three minutes. Add flour and cook, stirring, until light golden brown, about two minutes. Add stock; bring to a boil, stirring briskly, and cook until thickened, about one minute. Remove from heat. Add cream and 1/4 cup Gruyere cheese, and whisk until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper; set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 13-by 9-inch baking dish; set aside.

To assemble the crepes: Place 2 tablespoons cheese sauce down the center of a crepe and top with a spoonful of cooked mushrooms. Arrange three asparagus spears down the center of the crepe so that the tips extend just beyond the crepe’s edge. Roll and place, seam side down, in the prepared baking dish. Repeat with remaining crepes, sauce and filling. The crepes should fit snugly in the dish. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup grated Gruyere over tops of the rolled crepes.

Bake, uncovered, until crepes are warmed through and the cheese has melted, about 12 to 15 minutes. If you prefer a browner top, place under a heated broiler just until golden brown. Serve immediately.

To make the crepes: In a medium bowl, whisk to combine flour and salt. Make a well in the center of the flour and add eggs; whisk just the eggs until thoroughly mixed. Slowly and steadily, whisk in a little more than half the milk, while incorporating more and more of the flour from the edges of the batter. Once all the flour is incorporated, whisk in the melted butter and enough of the remaining milk to make a batter the consistency of heavy cream. Let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes or cover and refrigerate overnight.

If you refrigerated the batter, bring to room temperature before proceeding; you may need to add a bit more milk if it has thickened too much overnight.

Heat a traditional, seasoned steel crepe pan or 8-inch nonstick saute pan over medium-high heat. Using a pastry brush or paper towel, brush or wipe the pan with a thin film of melted butter. Add a scant 1/4 cup batter and immediately rotate pan, lifting it off the heat, so that the batter swirls and forms a thin, even layer to cover the surface of the pan. Place the pan back on the burner and cook until it begins to brown underneath and the top surface looks set, about one minute.

Using the edge of a spatula, loosen the edge of the crepe from the pan and flip (your fingers may work best). Cook just until browned light, about one minute. Transfer crepe to a plate. Repeat with remaining batter, stacking crepes on top of one another when cooked.

Crepes will keep, tightly wrapped, in refrigerator for three days or frozen for one month. Let frozen crepes come to room temperature before separating from the stack.

Makes eight crepes.

— Recipe from the California Asparagus Commission



Maple Apple Upside Down Ham Loaf

1 pound ground cooked ham

1/2 pound ground beef

1/2 cup dry baked crumbs

1/2 cup chopped celery

1/4 cup chopped onion

2 eggs

3/4 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon tangy mustard

1 tablespoon savory or basil

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 tart apple, peeled and sliced thin

Note: For leftover ham

In large bowl, blend ham, beef, bread crumbs, celery and onion. Add eggs, milk, spice and mustard. Mix well. Butter 8-inch loaf pan. Arrange apples in bottom and cover with syrup. Pack in meat mixture.

Bake in 350-degree oven for 1 hour 15 minutes or until crusted. Let stand five minutes and turn upside down onto platter.

Makes four to six servings.

— From Vermont Maple Sugar Makers Association